Introduction
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit." James 5:16-18
Prayer can do all things – for God can do all things. Nothing is impossible for Him! Where the need is greatest, His power will be greater. He can perform all things for us as well. As we acknowledge Him in all our ways and lean not to our own understanding, He will direct our steps. God will save, heal, deliver and guide as we look to Him in faith and obedience. Yes, the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much and even changes things on earth such as the rains just like Elijah did!
Jesus believed in prayer and spend much time doing it. Yes He was a doer of the word and not a hearer only! God also anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Similarly God is with us, for us and not against us! And Jesus told us much about the importance of prayer including:
"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! Matthew 7:11
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Luke 11:13
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
Miracles exist because God exists, but God's marvelous, miracle-working times have been preceded by times of marvelous, miracle-working praying. Jesus constantly prayed during the ministries. And the disciples prayed after Jesus left for the Holy Spirit and His power and they received it to do miracles. Prayer is simply asking God to do for us what he has promised us he will do if we ask him. The answer is a part of prayer, and is God's part of it. God's doing the thing asked for is as much a part of the prayer as the asking of the thing is prayer. Asking is man's part. Giving is God's part. The praying belongs to us. The answer belongs to God.[i]
Man makes the plea and God makes the answer. The plea and the answer compose the prayer. God is more ready, more willing and more anxious to give the answer than man is to give the asking. The possibilities of prayer lie in the ability of man to ask large things and in the ability of God to give large things. God's only condition and limitation of prayer is found in the character of the one who prays. The measure of our faith and praying is the measure of his giving. As our Lord said to the blind man, "according to your faith be it unto you," so it is the same in praying, "According to the measure of your asking, be it unto you." God measures the answer according to the prayer. He is limited by the law of prayer in the measure of the answers he gives to prayer. As is the measure of prayer, so will be the answer.
If the person praying has the characteristics which warrant praying, then the possibilities are unlimited. They are declared to be "all things whatsoever." Here is no limitation in character or kind, in circumference or condition. The man who prays can pray for anything and for everything, and God will give everything and anything. If we limit God in the asking, he will be limited in the giving.
Praying men and God's providence go together. This was thoroughly understood by the praying ones of the Scripture. They prayed over everything because God had to do with everything. They took all things to God in prayer because they believed in a divine providence which had to do with all things. They believed in an ever-present God, who had not retired into the secret recesses of space, leaving his saints and his creatures to the mercy of a tyrant, called nature, and its laws, blind, unyielding, with no regard for anyone who stood in its way.
Chapter 1
Are You A Believer?
"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13
Signs and wonders follow those who believe, not unbelievers. Those who believe in Jesus name God gives the right to become children of God and enjoy all the resulting benefits of believing. And it was on Calvary where Jesus Christ made His name. Calvary is the greatest act of love that ever was. God so loved the world that He gave Jesus, who for the joy set before Him of seeing us born again, endured the shame and suffering of the cross. Jesus held nothing back – He gave it all. We were bought with a great price, redeemed by the precious sinless blood of the Lamb. We need not be beggars but believers. John 20:31 says, "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."
Calvary's love brings true life for soul, mind and body for those who believe! God is able to do for each one of us what no other power can do. He loves us more than we know. By faith in His divine promises, we can expect great and wonderful miracles for our God is a miracle worker. God’s word is unchanging:
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:36-39
Yes, we are born again by faith. We live by faith. We fulfill the will of God in our lives by faith. When we’re sick, we receive healing by faith. When we are broke, we get financial increase by faith. When we have trouble, we get help from God by faith. We receive anything and everything that we need from God…by faith - not by works or perspiration but by faith! Faith is simply believing what God says in His Word is true. Faith is trusting what God says more than we trust our natural senses or what other people say. Faith is believing God enough to talk and act as if His Word is true even when circumstances around us would seem to indicate that it’s not.
By faith we resist the devil, who is out to steal our health, our wealth and our blessings by any means. We don’t give to him what Jesus gave to us including divine health and divine prosperity. When devil pressures us with symptoms, circumstances and discouraging lies, we continue to believe God and His word. We keep our eyes upon God and confess His word no matter what. When symptoms of sickness come, we resist those symptoms and speak faith. We tell the devil to go away and we are not accepting the sickness that he wants to put on us because Jesus healed us two thousand years ago. He paid the price for us to be well and the devil can take his symptoms and go to hell where he belongs. We hold fast to the Word of God and absolutely, positively, refusing to give up until we see God’s promises manifested in our lives. We don’t cast away our confidence, which hath great reward. We have patience, that, after we have done the will of God, we will receive the promise for the just shall live by faith and he doesn’t draw back to perdition but believe to see our salvation.
We receive what God has promised us—whether that is healing or any other scriptural blessing—because we believe it not just with our head but with our heart. When we hear lies to the contrary, we don’t buy them. We are fully persuaded of what God says that we act as if it’s true even when natural circumstances look like it’s not. We don’t quit when the going gets tough. But we stand until we see our desired results of what God has promised us. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Hence we tell the devil we are healed and delivered and blessed and prospered and our end is better than our beginning. We confidently put the devil under our feet where he belongs and step boldly into a future full of the promises and provisions of God! God’s word is unchanging:
"For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. "I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. "I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 36:9-11
Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: Daniel 9:20-23
This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. John 11:4
In the village of Bethany, there was a family so loved by the Lord Jesus, comprising of two sisters named Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus. One day, Lazarus fell seriously ill and the sisters who believed in the miracle-working power of Jesus sent word to Him about his sickness. They believed firmly that if Jesus was there, their brother Lazarus would surely recover. But the Holy Scripture says that Jesus deliberately delayed in going to Bethany to visit Lazarus. "So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was" (John 11:6). Meanwhile Lazarus died and was buried.
When tragedies strike us we lament saying, "Why did the Lord permit this suffering into my life?" Even today, many who live close to the Lord Jesus undergo travails. Even Lazarus, the beloved of Jesus, took seriously ill and died. Jesus deliberately delayed two days in going to Bethany, knowing fully well that Lazarus was at the verge of death.
When those of us who are engaged in His ministry, pray for others' needs, there are instant miracles happening in their lives. When those who have experienced the wonder-working power of Jesus in their lives come and testify, we are wonder-struck. But in our own lives, when we tread the thorny paths, Jesus remains seemingly passive. That is what happened in the family of Martha and Mary. Jesus told His disciples, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (John 11:4).
The disciples of Lord Jesus must have been greatly confused. He had said that Lazarus would not die, but he had already died! The faith that they had in Jesus must have shook. Not only Lazarus, but the disciples also must have had an eclipse of their faith and been walking in the shadow of death. Jesus said to Martha, "Your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:22), reminding her that all power had been given in His hands. It was true that she was in the valley of the shadow of death! But she was not to forget that the Lord was still with her so that she could see His miracles right then.
Dear friend, there may be a similar situation in your life too. Men may say that you are finished. You may be undergoing sickness and doctors may have given up hope on you. Grieve not! Jesus said, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40). Your body will surely revive again. Lifeless body parts will surely function again normally. Your life will blossom again. You will have success in all your endeavors and your home will prosper. Let not your heart be troubled!
Approaching the grave of Lazarus, Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha instantly said to Jesus, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus then confirmed her faith said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:39, 40). He then cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" (John 11:43). The dead man then came out alive. Just imagine how that situation must have been! When Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth!” those who stood around the grave would have laughed with a scorn, "How can the dead man come alive?" Those who stood around Jesus were filled with hatred, mistrust and were less faithful. Yet His love, compassion and life-giving power brought Lazarus back to life. Today, He will do the same for you, because He loves you.
Dear friend, do not say that there is no one to help you or love you. Has everyone let you down? Are you surrounded by your enemies? Fear not! Even today, He will perform miracles for you. The battle belongs to the Lord! He will fight for you. He will revive your body again and restore all that you have lost. If it is true that He raised Lazarus from death, He can help you as well. Turn your eyes towards Jesus. He will lift you up from the valley of the shadow of death. Let not your heart be troubled! Dr. Paul Dhinakaran http://www.prayertoweronline.org/message/message.asp
They have an expression in the secular world that “nothing is over till that fat lady sings!” Well Jesus Christ has the last say on any matter and it’s not over till He says it’s over. His word is unchanging:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. Psalm 23:1-6
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:14-16
We need to pray and say:
Gracious Heavenly Father, “When I am surrounded by problems, trials and tribulations, I fall back from my faith and am filled with doubt and mistrust. Lord, lift me up and let Your light shine in my life. Work great and mighty wonders in my life. I make this prayer through Jesus Christ, my Lord.”
Chapter 2
"Rise, Take Up Your Bed And Walk."
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. John 5:5-9
The first step to solve any problem there must be first an admittance of a problem and the need to solve it? Denying a problem will not solve anything! No solution will be found without critical thinking and questioning all things and being clear as to the condition of the problem and willingness to solve it. The sick man in the gospel of Johan was healed by Jesus after he admitted he wanted to be made well. Then Jesus gave him a solution.
The second step to solve a problem is we must be open to all solutions. We must question all information, conclusions, and points of view and strive to be clear, accurate, precise, and relevant. We need to think beneath the surface, to be logical, and fair. We have to reject both dogmatic absolutism and intellectual relativism. We must avoid the danger of ignorance and misconception, and self-deception and illusion. We must use a multiple perspective and reasoned judgment to look at the whole picture and not just a part of it. Then we must recognize that the Creator of heaven and earth has a solution to any problem we seek. The Word of God tells us:
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways . James 1:5-8
The bible tells us of two incidents where prominent rulers of a great nation had a problem through a dream that annoyed them and God gave the solution. Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream where he stood by the river where suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. Then the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. He had this same dream twice was troubled by it. All the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men could not interpret these dreams for him until a Hebrew slave named Joseph was called out of the dungeon. Joseph told Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace." The bible records:
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: "The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. "And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. "This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. "Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; "but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.
"So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. "And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
"Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land. "Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. "And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
"Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine."
So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. Genesis 41:25-37
Pharaoh took the counsel of others and openly examined the solution that was from God. He said to Joseph, in whom was the Spirit of God:
… "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. "You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, "Bow the knee!" So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-46
Sure enough, when the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, the seven years of famine came. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians and to all. As a matter of fact Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's and he became very rich and powerful as a result of obeying Joseph. The bible records:
Therefore he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. 2 Chronicles 14:17
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." 2 Chronicles 20:20
King Nebuchadnezzar also had a troubling dream and he didn’t take the advice of another man of God, Daniel and he didn’t prosper but suffered tremendously. King Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in his house and flourishing in his palace and had a troubling dream of a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth. Its leaves were lovely, its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
"I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches. Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass over him. 'This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.' Daniel 4:2-18
Daniel in whom was the Spirit of the Holy God gave the king the interpretation including break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity." The bible records:
The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home- it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth. And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him'; this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules.
Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity."
All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"
While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."
That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" Daniel 4:20-35
Whether men acknowledge it our not God is the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. He promotes and demotes whomever He wills. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, "What have You done?"
Chapter 3
The God Of Miracles Is Alive And Well
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know- Acts 2:22
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:5-8
Just as there are physical laws to regulate nature, so are there spiritual laws too. Even some physical laws have their spiritual equivalent e.g. the law of harvest. In all cases however, spiritual laws are stronger and more powerful than physical laws. A miracle occurs, therefore, whenever God uses a spiritual law to set aside a physical law. Since it is God who is behind the working of miracles, there is nothing like “the days of miracles” which can pass away, instead there is the God of miracles who lives forever. God may use natural means in performing miracle e.g. 5 loaves of bread and two fishes to feed over 5,000 people; or He may use supernatural means e.g. the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
We are all sick, hurting, or lacking in one thing or another but God has not changed one bit and He is still a God of miracles. He has promised for those who are called by His name that if they will humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways then He will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. We have an excellent example of this in the life of King Hezekiah:
In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' " Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. "I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city." ' "And this is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken: "Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward." So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down. This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: Isaiah 38:1-9
Yes, God still gives grace to the humble and He contends with the proud. Healing is still part of the atonement but the method that God chooses to use as well as the timing for the healing is His business. Nevertheless God’s word is unchanging:
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:24-25
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:5-11
Yes, God is able to perfect, establish, strengthen, heal and settle each one of His children if they will turn from their wicked ways. It’s is amazing what God considers to be wicked ways. Since every person is different and God knows the heart and attitude on each one only God can define for each person what is his “wicked ways.” Both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus by their actions and words but the Lord gave Peter the grace to return back to him but not Judas. It is a fact that some sins cause God not to hear the prayers of children for healing because He has brought judgment against them just like in the life of David concerning his illegitimate son due to his relationship with Bathsheba. The bible records:
So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. "However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die." Then Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill.
David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!" When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. 2 Samuel 12:13-20
But the good news is that God is still gracious and kind and He loves to hear and answer pray to forgive the sins of the righteous and to heal the circumstances and hearts of those who are suffering or are sick. His word is unchanging:
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:13-18
"I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26
The Word of God is a testimony to the fact that God in Christ Jesus is on the side of His trusting ones no matter what they are going through. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all." (Psalm 34:15-19). "Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in You." (Psalm 55:22) " He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength." (Isaiah 40:29).
The Lord always is and will remain for His trusting ones their Savior, Friend Healer, Deliverer, Defender, Avenger, Rock, Refuge, Reward and Shield. The Lord is an unchanging God. He will not leave them nor forsake them. Once He has promised them something, He will not go back from His word. They can put their entire trust in the Lord and rest in Him and wait patiently for Him to move on their behalf. They can believe in His promises and He will lift them and exalt them. His word is true:
Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret-it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalm 37:1-11.
There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places." Deuteronomy 33:25-29
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:7-8
For those who love the LORD their God, walk in His ways and hold fast to Him, the Lord delivers and the Lord protects them. He drives out their enemies before them and they dispose of them. He heals them and sends His healing anointing to them. He opens the windows of heaven and pour His financial blessings on them. He blesses and prospers them and expands their territory and causes them to eat the good of the land.
God who is immensely good and rich has wonderful conditional promises for His people that if they will do their part He will do His part. He is especially concerned when His people are poor and needy and has told them to approach the throne of Grace to find mercy and grace in time of need.
God is a good God who can be trusted no matter what is going on in the world. He is not like the others. He is good, faithful, true and compassionate! He is the salvation of the righteous and their strength in the time of trouble. He shall help them and deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him. He desires and wills that His children have total and complete victory in all the battles of life and be more than conquerors and overcomers. He doesn’t want them to just get by but to live in victory and prosperity and abundance. His wants to fight for them and to triumph gloriously on their behalf against all their enemies.
God’s seasons are not at the command of mortal men. Just because at the first stroke of the flint does not bring forth the fire, doesn’t mean there will not be a fire? God’s delays are not His denials. For His trusting true ones God always hears their prayers and will answer them in due season. Hence they have need of perseverance and endurance for the miracle answer will come from the God of miracles. They need not fear but are to let their hands be strong for God will save them and they shall be a blessing. As God’s power and resources are unlimited and not dependent on their limited power and resources.
Poverty, like a snowstorm, attempts to destroy our life. In our worldly life, financial discrepancies, Debt- burdens penury... perplex us. According to Ecclesiastes 7:12, "money (wealth/riches) is defense" Ecclesiastes 10:19 says, " money answers everything." That is why God is ever ready to save us from the terrible whirlwind of poverty by providing us with financial strength for He is our refuge and strength in time of trouble. His word is unchanging:
"The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men." Psalm 11:4
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8”31-32
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6
Victory is given only in battle and not outside of it. God has promised to bring His true children through everything including poverty, lack, afflictions and want and not keep them there. He has an answer and solution for every problem His people face and need that they have. But it’s not a standard solution for God is not limited in any way as to how He will work a miracle for them that will bring glory and honor to His name. If they could solve the problem or work out a solution they would not need God and they wouldn’t know what faith in God will achieve? Andre Crouch wrote about this in his song entitled “Through it All.”
Yes, without the troubles and the storms we would never know what faith in God can do. Through it all we can learn to trust in Jesus, learn to trust in God, learn to depend upon His word! The battles of Life are fought and won not by human logic or reasoning but by the obedience to the Spirit of the Lord, to the same Spirit that was on Jesus and is on His true ones.
I've had many tears and sorrows
I've had questions for tomorrow
There have been times I didn't know right from wrong.
But in every situation - God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come only to make me strong.
I thank God for the mountains
I thank Him for the valleys
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I'd never had a problem
I wouldn't know that He could solve them
I'd never know what faith in God can do.
Through it all -- through it all
I've learned to trust in Jesus
I've learned to trust in God.
Through it all -- through it all
I've learned to depend upon His Word.
Chapter 4
The God of Increase
And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye. "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. "For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? Luke 6:39-46
Christianity today is full of religionists who call Jesus 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which He told them. It’s full of the blind who are leading the blind and then they wonder why they fall into the ditch! It’s not an unkind thing to tell the truth because Jesus did it all the times when He told men the facts of life including "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. And God’s word is unchanging:
Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9-10
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:21-23
Nothing in the world can overcome faith that is active in Christ Jesus based on the Word of God word! It’s a fact that we have been given the grace and blessing to be sons and daughters of the King of kings and Lord of lords and all the authority and responsibility that goes with it including to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant nations and kingdoms and to forgive or retain the sins of any.
If we choose not to act or use our God given authority that is in and through the name of Jesus that is above every principality, power, sickness, diseases, mountain, foe, enemy, kingdom or problem, that is our right as children of God created in the image of God with freedom of will and choice. We can choose to have a form of godliness and deny God’s power and authority He has given to us. Yet Jesus Christ has made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth (Matthew 28:18-20, Revelation 5:10 ). We can reign in the present or the future. That is our choice but God’s word is unchanging:
"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19
"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:15-20
God given freedoms, rights and privileges can only be abrogated by God or ourselves for we are complete in Christ, who is the head of all principality and power who has disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it and causes us to triumph and be more than conquerors. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. And since we are primarily spiritual beings created by God then it makes sense that the solutions to all our problems are spiritual! God’s word is unchanging about any mountain, foe, kingdom, problem, sickness or lack:
When evening had come, He went out of the city. Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away." So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:19-24
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:8-13
Yes, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Yes, God created His children for victory and through the cross of Christ He has given them victory and the power over all things (Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Isaiah 51:1-3,61:1-11,65:13-16, John 14:12-14,16:7-14, Romans 12;6, 1 Corinthians 3:21-22, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Ephesians 4:8, Galatians 3:3, James 2:5).
Through Christ Jesus, we who once were poor have became rich in faith for through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich and inherit the blessings of Abraham, spiritual and physical. And as a result whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven and whatever things we ask when we pray, believe that we receive them, and we will have them.
Now if we allow ourselves to be deceived or blind to what God in Christ Jesus has done for us that is our right and God will not interfere with our right to make mistakes and our own choices! Negative circumstances, the size of the enemy, or demons have nothing to do with us for God’s word is unchanging:
Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be. There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' Then Israel
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:10
And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always {and} under all circumstances {and} whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 Amplified Bible
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 3 John 1:2-3
(The Sign That Will Make Them Wonder)
By Maria Magruder : mariam@lifelineoutreach.com
What? Increase in these times? Increase in some of the most difficult times of the world’s economy? Are you sure you have the right word? Increase? Absolutely! During these difficult times in the world, is where the strength of the Believer will be the greatest. While the world is struggling along financially, in its “system”, the Believer will be prospering and increasing. The Church will be prospering and is prospering. We see this over and over throughout the Word. Whenever there were tough financial times, and famine, it was always someone who was obedient to the man of God, in the Old Testament, or to Jesus in the New Testament.
The widow woman with the empty vessels; she was a sign of prosperity and definitely increase, to all those around her as her vats were overflowing. Isaac sowed in famine, He was a sign of prosperity and increase to the world, as he reaped 100 fold, though days before, he had nothing. Joseph, who once was a slave, stayed obedient to God, and during the worst famine Egypt
My friends, as the Church and as Believers, YOU, are called to be a sign and a wonder to the world! You are called to INCREASE and prosper in every part of your life. From finances, to health, to better jobs, to a family flowing in harmony and unity. You are the SIGN to the world that will make them WONDER about who you are serving. Make them wonder, how you got where you are at in your life. Make them wonder, how they can get what you got! Make them wonder how you went from a 2 bedroom apartment to a 4 bedroom house with a garage during this economic distress. How you went from an entry level position at your job, to being promoted 2 or 3 times in one year. How you went from being laid off to getting even a better job than you had before. From you, going from a old run down car to a new car. From everything you touch, beginning to increase and prosper, in everything you do. From seeing you walk in divine health and relationships. From seeing you go from glory to glory in your walk with the Lord, seeing you in peace, walking in the power of God.
There will be a great harvest coming in because of the INCREASE in YOUR life. Due to the increase of the Church, the harvest will begin to seek out help, seek out “the Way”, seek out “the Truth”, so they too can be free. You are the Sign that will make the harvest wonder, for you are a sign and a wonder to the world! Glory! For the world is looking for the Truth. The world is not looking for truth in poverty, sickness or disease. Its looking for Truth in Power, that can only be found through Jesus Christ.
Now, lets bring this increase “home” a little more, to the Believer, and take a closer look:
1 Thessalonians 4:10 “…but we urge you brethren and sisteren that you INCREASE more and more.”
There is an INCREASE in the body of Christ. For too long the body of Christ has focused on the “decrease”. The scary thing is the Word says you can have what you say, and believe. So if you have declared that you are to decrease, as many of the body of Christ has, then that’s what you get, but I declare to you today an INCREASE!
John 3:30 “He must INCREASE, but I must decrease.”
Oh my…how this verse has been mis-interpreted over the years, and oh how we have allowed religion to grab a hold of this verse. The body of Christ has always, always, always focused on the “decrease” part of this verse. Religion has used this verse to declare “poverty vows”, to declare a “lowly worm” state of being, to declare a “loser” mentality about oneself, and most of all focus’ on, what we call “dying to flesh”, and how we must “die”.
Now there certainly isn’t anything wrong with dying to flesh. However we can’t seem to get past that part. It’s almost like we are stuck there. And there seems to be a lack of revelation that, “hello” the old man is dead! When you gave your life to Christ, your spirit became PERFECT! Glory! Grant it, our soul realm still has issues, but your spirit is perfect. That old spirit that was born in sin is no longer, it has DECREASED and you are now a new creation. So quit calling yourself a “sinner saved by grace”! You are a saint, you are sons and daughters of the most high God!
So, with that out of the way, lets focus on the INCREASE baby! When you receive Christ in your life as your Lord and savior, you cannot help but INCREASE! Increase becomes a part of your life. Everything about you should be increasing.
“HE MUST INCREASE..."
Or He (Jesus) absolutely has to increase! It’s not an option. And when Christ lives IN you, and He is increasing every day, of every moment, don’t you think that will impact your life? Don’t you think that your job will increase? That your bank account will increase? That your healing will increase and accelerate? That your family will increase in harmony and unity? That everything you own will increase?! Everything you touch will increase? This is what the believer is called to, INCREASE BABY! Glory!
Increase by bible dictionary means: “Multiplication, growth, reproduction of livestock (or what you own/property you own), reproduction of harvest. (which is a representation of what is to come)
So if Christ must, absolutely, has to increase, and He dwells in you, you WILL see multiplication in your life, you WILL see reproduction of your property and the things you own, of the business you own, of the possessions God has already given you, an increase in the lives touched by Christ through you!
My friends it is impossible for you not to increase, when He lives in you! The only thing that can stop the increase is your thinking. Renew your minds to the Word of God where there are no limits my friends! The sky isn’t even the limit! Whahoo!
It’s not necessarily about “material” things here. Its about obtaining what Christ has already purchased for you, and that the world isn’t going to want what you have if you don’t have “anything”! The world doesn’t want sickness and disease, so increase and get your healing, the world doesn’t want poverty, so increase and come out of that poverty mentality, the world isn’t looking for more problems, so increase in your revelation knowledge of the Word, and walk in the power of God.
Isaiah 9:7 “Of the INCREASE of His Government and peace there WILL BE NO END.”
The awesome thing about this increase is that it belongs to you, is there is no end to it! We are to partake of God’s divine nature, (according to 2 Peter 1:4) and God’s nature absolutely does not DECREASE! It absolutely is NOT in God’s nature to decrease, but only to INCREASE. Glory! It continues to increase, and increase, and prosper and prosper, and grow and grow, enlarge and enlarge…there is no end to God’s increase. It goes on for eternity! Every time the angels circle around the throne they discover something new and glorious about God! God’s increase is for eternity. There is NO END! That means that there is no end to the increase in your life! You go from glory, to glory, to glory, to glory, to glory, baby!
When you allow Christ to step into your life, you, the believer, have access to this increase immediately! Not tomorrow, not 2 days from now, not next week, but immediately! God is the God of immediately, not yesterday, not tomorrow but NOW! Your healing is NOW, your deliverance is NOW! Your increase is NOW! When He increases, you increase! Greater is He that is IN you, than he that is in the world.
Some of you reading this may say, “why am I not seeing an increase in my life, Maria?” Well, up till this point you didn’t have a revelation of the Word of increase for you life. Without a revelation of increase in your life according to the Word, you are in disagreement with the Word, therefore you have limited yourself. God cannot bless dis-agreement of His Word. Again, renew your mind, and get in agreement with the Word, get in agreement with increase for your life.
So many times we put out a prophetic word about what is going to happen in the body of Christ and for the believer and they get excited about it, but never see it come to pass. My friends faith without works is dead! So we need to put action to our faith, do our part, and line ourselves up with the Word, and the Word will not return void! For it cannot lie.
God wants you to INCREASE! He wants you to increase more than you do! He desires to see you prosper, He desires to see you increase, He desires to see that you have everything you need in life, that pertains to life and godliness. He is going to cause you who love Him to inherit wealth, so that He can fill your treasuries! (Proverbs 8:21)
2 Thessalonians 3:12 “And may the Lord MAKE you INCREASE, and ABOUND, in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you.”
This is my prayer for each one of you, that the Lord will MAKE you increase, and the key in all this increase always comes back to “love one another”. So as we increase, lets love one another in the love that Jesus has given us, we give back to others. Love-the biggest SIGN, that will cause the Harvest to “Wonder”.
You, the Church, you the Believer, the Sign that causes the world to wonder. Increase is yours. Its already been paid for on the cross by the love of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 5
With The Finest Of Wheat?
I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. "But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels. "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever. He would have fed them also; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you." Psalm 81:10-16
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." Genesis 15:1
"But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt
For those who have been born again and filled with the Spirit of God, God has become their shield and their exceedingly great reward. But they have also become God’s people. His inheritance and God knows that He got the best part of the deal. The American Heritage dictionary defines inheritance as:
in·her·i·tance n. 1.a. The act of inheriting. b. Something inherited or to be inherited. 2. Something regarded as a heritage.
Inheritance is something passed from one generation to another: heritage, legacy, tradition birthright, family possession, estate. It’s money or goods left to one's heirs: legacy, patrimony, bequest, estate, trust. It is a birthright: a right, possession, or privilege that is one's due by birth. For when we were born again and became sons and daughters of God all that He has and is now belong to us and all the we have and are belongs to God. And He has promised to bring us in and plant us in the mountain of His inheritance including divine favor, divine health, divine wealth, divine blessings, divine victories and divine prosperity. God’s word is true:
You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. Exodus 15:17
"Command the children of Israel land of Canaan land of Canaan
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:2-4
The Scriptures tells us that God’s inheritances come to His people only to those who claim them by faith and wholly walk in His ways. We have an excellent example of this in the life and wonders of Caleb:
Then the children of Judah Israel Hebron Hebron
Yes, Hebron Israel
Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed." Isaiah 61:5-9
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit. You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord GOD will slay you, And call His servants by another name; So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My eyes. Isaiah 65:13-16
Foolish ones don’t understand that is not by their labors or by their works that the riches and blessings of God come upon their lives but by God’s anointing and His Spirit. God’s word is unchanging:
Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " Zechariah 4:5-6
Only the Spirit and function of the Holy Spirit can remove every hindrance and obstacle in our lives and make something out of nothing! Only the Holy Spirit does something so supernatural from nothing to something by the Spirit called grace, grace, just like God created heaven and earth out of nothing and sustains it by grace! But we must do our part by cooperating with God and doing whatever He tells us to see our miracles. God’s word is unchanging:
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. John 2:1-11
Mary told said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." And when they did what Jesus told them to do they saw a miracle. For many reasons including ignorance, fear, and unbelief, God’s people are not doing what God’s word has told them to do because don't understand the power in the declarations: "Exaltation will come," and "Decree a thing and it will be established" (Job22:28-29). Our ministering angels carry out our earthly prophetic decrees which line up with the truth of God's word and His will. When we declare "Restore!" "Restore!" Then the angels in heaven are released to execute this decree! God’s word is unchanging:
But this is a people robbed and plundered; All of them are snared in holes, And they are hidden in prison houses; They are for prey, and no one delivers; For plunder, and no one says, "Restore!" Isaiah 42:22
Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion Israel
Yes, God wants to save and bring restoration to the humble, His people and His church. Yes this is the day of God’s vengeance on our enemies and the year of His favor ones. This is our acceptable year, liberation, Jubilee and our victory! When through our faith we release God to save the humble and to deliver those who are bound exaltation comes to us. When we say, "Restore!" we release God's 'repairer of the breach' anointing (Isaiah 58:12) which causes everything in our lives that is lost and broken to be restored—the thief must repay God's people.
Yes, we can let the angelic hosts overcome every demonic power or stronghold and every assignment that is aimed against our inheritances! Yes we can throw it down! We can take authority concerning our kingship over every power that resists. Yes, restoration happens when we declare, "Restore!" "Restore!" "Exaltation comes!" And we will see breakthroughs in every area of our lives including receiving our inheritance and stepping into our destiny. We will experience prosperity in our businesses; even the number of businesses increase. Yes, the Lord will rebuke the enemy who brings sickness and disease by stealing, killing and destroying. He will turn all the negative things around in our lives and give us justice where there is injustice, make the wrongs right and the crook straight.
Yes, when we ascend the courts of heaven and petition the Ancient of Days to come and pronounce judgment in our favor. We will receive supernatural intervention by God when events are out of our hands because a higher court system has come into place when we approach His throne and present our case to Him. Yes, we can begin to bring justice and mercy for the poor and needy, the afflicted and the widow, with the Word of God in our mouths. He gave us authority to set the captives free, in Jesus' Mighty name! God’s word is unchanging:
"But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause- Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number. Job 5:8-9
When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion
Chapter 6
God Gives Grace To The Humble
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5
Many of God’s people are crying out to God to bless them and don’t find an open heaven but trials and tribulations, many of which are caused by their own foolishness. It’s a fact that Apostle Paul suffered greatly when he became a Christian because he reaped what he had sown in murdering Christians especially Stephen. God is not to be mocked whatsoever a man sows so shall he reap applies to every one. And Apostle Peter told us:
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:17-24
And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:13-17
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:14-19
There is no credit if you are beaten for your faults? If you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed but if you suffer for being a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters there is no glory in this? It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil? We better wake up to the fact that God is not the cause of all of man’s suffering even though He works it all for good to them that love God and are called according to His purposes. Many sufferings are needless because God’s people don’t use their faith to be healed and delivered of them. God’s word is unchanging:
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two. Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:15-20
Why did God call these children of men fools? Because they were afflicted because of their transgression and their iniquities just like Jesus warned men about:
"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Matthew 5:20-25
"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. Luke 1:52
Proud and arrogant ones don’t consider the possibility of the reality of the judgments of God upon them in the current time of life because they are after all Christians, the apple of God’s eyes and once saved always saved? They forget that that judgment begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:7) and But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment (James 5;12). Yes we get into great trouble and tribulation by saying the wrong words in life. And that is why wise King Solomon wrote and stated:
You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. Proverbs 6:2
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. Proverbs 8:13
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 10:6
Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. Proverbs 10:14
He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. Proverbs 13:3
A proud and arrogant person has to have the last say in any matter and all things have to meet his approval otherwise it cannot be accepted or true. At the root of most stumbling through unbelief and disobedience (self-will) is that primary ingredient of man's fallen nature which the scripture calls pride. We read in Proverbs 16:18 that "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a FALL," Pride is simply the ADULATION of SELF, wanting to be a law unto oneself, independent, with a feeling of importance, and a desire for acclaim from others. There are DEGREES of pride, of course, and ALL of us have a measure of this problem whether we are willing to admit it or not. The very methods of God's dealings with us from salvation on, are designed to strike at this root problem of our carnal nature, so that "no FLESH should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:29 ). Pride makes a person inflexible, unyielding, and unteachable, and through it one is deceived into trying to justify SELF in many ways. Especially there is a tendency to maintain one's own worth, works or merit, as a means of gaining favor with God, or acclaim in the sight of men.
Due to pride, which makes a person inflexible, unyielding, and unteachable and to act in ignorance, neglect or willful rejection, many of God’s people reject for today His healings, signs, wonders, miracles and tongues. These things recorded in the book of Acts are merely a sample of the things which Jesus began to do in working with His disciples through the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost after He had gone back to heaven.
It’s a fact that many of God’s people haven’t learn to keep their mouth shut because their pride and arrogance forces them to speak. They forget that a picture is worth a thousand words and a true anointing on a person speaks for the person and not his words! They forget that pride is one of the greatest of all sins and is a sin which God hates. As a matter of fact God goes out of the way to humble a proud person. God’s word is unchanging:
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness. Then I will also confess to you That your own right hand can save you. Job 40:6-14
It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows-such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows- how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelation, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:1-9
Because Paul was a proud boastful person, a thorn in the flesh was given to him, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest he be exalted above measure. And this thorn was not removed from him even though he pleaded with the LORD three times because God contends with the proud and gives grace to the humble. The root cause of Paul's demonic thorn was his pride and the fact that the LORD hates pride and arrogance, the evil way and the perverse mouth and pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Hence less Paul be destroyed by it and take a great fall like many TV Evangelists and Pastors that we know, God purposely gave Paul a demonic thorn in the flesh lest being puffed up with pride he would fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Yes, pride was the number one sin that caused the devil to fall and causes many of God’s people to fall! God’s word is unchanging:
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. Isaiah 14:12-15
"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:14
Yes, it doesn’t pay for “whoever” to be proud at all because the rewards he shall receive even in the current time of life will be painful. But for the HUMBLE AND MEEK, the good news is that the same LORD who healed Job and delivered him from all his suffering and sickness and restored to Him double all His losses hasn’t changed? He is the same LORD who delivered Joseph out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt Egypt
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:6-10
Chapter 7
No Faith Is Okay
Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!" Luke 8:22-25
In the “Word of Faith” movement there is a great emphasis on faith, it’s value and importance. The Book of Hebrews says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Jesus told us, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
There is no ambiguity in Jesus’ words. Faith in the mere size of a mustard seed will enable you to speak to a mountain to move, and it will move. Faith is the key to everything God has promised us. Jesus stated that even the smallest measurement of faith, a grain of mustard seed, is enough to speak to a mountain of impossibilities and it will be moved.
God is the Source of everything. Everything we need is already available by God. If we need healing, joy, prosperity, blessings or miracles, God has all of these for us and the Bible gives us numerous promises about God’s willingness to give. Jesus said, “Ask, and you shall receive.” James writes, “You have not because you ask not.” Jesus states that God’s willingness to give far exceeds that of a parent desiring to give good things to their children. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13)
Yes the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that if we have no faith we can still get a miracle by looking to Jesus like the disciples did when a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.
It obvious the disciples had not faith whatsoever! So they came to Him who had fallen asleep and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.
Yes Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. As a result the apostle Paul said, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” There is a giant step between faith in Christ and the faith of Christ. It was no longer the apostle’s attempt at having faith in Christ, but now the very faith of Christ had become his. Simon Peter gives a testimony when he explains how the lame man was healed not by Simon Peter’s faith or holiness, but by the faith that works through Jesus (Acts 3:16).
So in all situations we look at Jesus in whom there are no hindrances. All the promises of God are ours in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of what we have done, but because of Him.” God’s promises are received by us, not because of our obedience, but because of Jesus’ obedience.
This is what Paul proclaimed, “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you…was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Corinthians 1:19-20) Notice that God’s promises are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus. This way God gets all the glory as He works through us. We cannot credit our own diligence or any goodness in us, but all the credit goes to the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is always hard to understand why a person is not healed or doesn’t get a needed miracle, but we must never become discouraged or give up. One thing I do know for sure is that the Lord loves us very much, and it is definitely not His will for us to be in any negative condition or He would not have sent His Son to bring redemption and deliverance for all mankind. Sickness or poverty comes from the devil, and the Bible says in 1John 3:8, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." The Bible also tells us in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised). We must look to the Lord in all faith, claim the promises and He will move for all things needed.
There is no greater joy than the joy of knowing Jesus. Even when Jesus was born there was great joy. Luke 2:10 says, "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."
When Jesus walked this earth, He brought much joy to people as He went about doing good, healing the sick and oppressed and preaching and teaching good tidings to all who would hear. This joy of the Lord is not just for the wealthy, not just for one or two countries; His joy is for all people everywhere. His joy lingers within no matter what we may face outwardly.
The Word of God brings joy because it is truth, and there are many precious promises within its pages. Jesus told us, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full," John 15:11. Think about it: Our joy cannot be full until His joy abides within. Jesus also told us "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24
So we can pray with all confidence that God hears and answers prayer. It is God's will for us to prosper spiritually, physically, and financially, and to be full of His joy. God’s word is unchanging:
"Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, "lest-when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; "and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; "when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; "who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; "who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end- "then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18
Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." Psalm 35:27
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2
Yes sickness and poverty are from the devil and they were a nonexistent thing in the garden of Eden until the devil came around! But the Jesus Christ came to restore all things including the blessings of the Garden of Eden and to destroy the works of the devil ! And now blessing and miracles of God come not because of what we strive to do, but only because of what Jesus has done.
Jesus has already put away the world’s sins and carried our sicknesses. Christ’s righteousness has now been credited to our account, and on the basis of His righteousness we inherit all of God’s goodness and promises. We no longer love in order to obtain God’s love; we love God because He first loved us. We pray not to obtain the victory or the blessing, but because the victory is already ours in Christ. We don’t try to have faith by our own effort, but we have faith because we are linked with the author and the finisher of our faith, who is Jesus Christ Himself.
As a result of Jesus we now have grace. Grace being defined God’s richest at Christ’s expense. We connect directly with Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. We have a relationship with Him. He is the indwelling Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).Jesus is the key to everything. Our miracle is in Him. The more we look at our own effort the worse it gets, while the more we look at Jesus the easier it becomes. Grace is the undeserved, unearned, unmerited favor of God given to us because of Jesus. It is totally focused on God’s love providing a free gift to everyone who believes through Jesus Christ. God’s word is unchanging:
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:10-17
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:14-18
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Chapter 8
Head Not Tail
Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come near now and kiss me, my son." And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: "Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!" Genesis 27:29
"And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them." Deuteronomy 28:13
When Isaac, the son of Abraham, the father of faith, blessed Jacob, he expressed the will of God for His chosen ones of prosperity, protection and prominence. If God didn’t want His people to have the best in everything, He would not have given them the best His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and His wonderful Counselor, the Holy Spirit. Everything else that God gives His people is only gravy on the table of abundance. If poverty was God’s will for His people He would not delivered and blessed and made head, not tail Naomi and Ruth and He would not have healed Job and restored to him double all his losses! But God’s word is unchanging:
So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”
And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. “The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:10-12
Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” Ruth 3:18
The story of Ruth in the bible is not just the story of two desolate and poverty stricken widows who God Himself gave full rest, refuge, redemption, reward and renown, but a testimony of what God wants to do for each one of His children. God wants to make each one of His children rich and to bless them mightily in all things. For His word is unchanging:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
God loves His own very deeply. He is not concerned for the future because He knows the future. It is bright and beautiful for those who are His. He is not going to allow anything to come between them and their promised future. He is not fickle or unreliable. He doesn’t change. What He has promised is written in Gold. They are pure like the Ten Commandments He has given to men on tablets of stone. They are unchangeable. The road of life might be rocky and full of pitfalls but God Himself is on the road with them. His word is unchanging:
“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. “Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
“For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.
“So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.
“I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. “And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. Exodus 23:20-28
God has made a covenant with His people to be their God and a God to them. He has made a covenant to be their provider, defender, helper and everything they need. He has promised to abundantly bless and prosper them if they will listen to and obey His voice and walk in His ways. For His word is true:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. “All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:7-15
The Helper, the other One, whom Jesus sent in His name will guide them into all truth. He will speak to them what He hears from the Father. He will tell them of things to come. He will glorify Jesus by taking of what belongs to Jesus and sharing it with and giving it God’s true ones. For all that belongs to Father now belong to Jesus and hence they belong to God’s true children.
All of heaven riches and resources are theirs because God, Himself, is their shield, rock, refuge, strength, friend and their exceeding great reward. They are to be of good cheer. For in the world they have tribulation but their brother and friend Jesus Christ has overcome the world. For God’s word is true:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Jesus Christ overcame the worst that the world, the flesh and the devil had thrown at Him. He is literally the Victor and the “more than a conqueror.” As a result all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth including the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty. For all that is in heaven and in earth is the Lord’s including the kingdom of God and He is exalted as head over all. As God’s word is true:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” Daniel 4:34-35
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:4-6
Jesus Christ is the ruler over the kings of the earth and He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
To Jesus Christ belong the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; as all that is in heaven and in earth is His. Both riches and honor come from Him and in His hand is power and might; to heal, deliver, make great and to give strength to all. Hence He desires and wills and works to make His trusting ones also the victory and more than the conquerors in all things.
As a result, God’s true ones are not to be concerned about the obstacles in their path. They are to take each one as it comes and do what they do best—stand! They are to take authority over it and persevere until it is out of their path by the Spirit of the Living God. For God’s word is true:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints- Ephesians 6:10-18
The answers of life are not in men’s wisdom or the world’s system. It is not in the abundance of what one possesses. It is in Jesus Christ, His truth and His wisdom and person in one’s spirit. This closer walk with God and His person brings a person into a position of unity with Heaven that is yet untapped and totally miss-understood.
God doesn’t want His teachers and preachers to point to themselves but to God. He wants His sheep to turn to Him and He will give them their marching orders. Then, they will find victory in battle and they will do the right kind of service to Him. They all have a part in His great plan and purposes. Yet, God is left with a weak and hurt people. This will not be forever. He is coming through to strength His people and unite them in a way unprecedented in the history of the church. He has ordained it from the beginning. The church, His body, will learn to learn and hear His voice and follow their true shepherd. This day is coming and all will see it.
But His true ones are not to be shy. They are to ask God what they will and He will do it because He loves them so much. He has promised to do whatsoever they ask in Jesus name. They can come to His throne boldly and He will hear their prayers and He will deal with their concerns. For they have His promises, His person and Him. Hence they can walk in the assurance of God’s Presence in their life. For as God walked with Noah, Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Elijah, and Jesus so now He walks with them. God in Christ Jesus has given to us His P’s. The P’s of His presence, promises, person, power, protection, provision, prosperity, providence and promotion:
His Presence - God is always with His own. He has commanded them to be strong and of good courage and not to be afraid, nor be dismayed. For the LORD their God is with them wherever they go and His presence goes with them to give them rest and victory.
His Promises – Every promise and every line in the bible is theirs including that no weapon which is formed against them shall prosper and those who rise against them shall become a nonexistent thing.
His Person - God is a Good God who is for them, with them and not against them. He is on their side no matter what they are facing. There is no searching of His understanding. His ears are open to their prayers and His eyes are upon the righteous to bless them.
His Power – When God’s true ones have His presence, promises and power they can trust Him to use His power for their good in all kinds of circumstances and situations. Just like God did for Jesus on Calvary when He raised Him from the dead, gave Him victory over all His enemies and seated Him at His right hand.
His Protection - God is the shield and exceeding great reward of His true ones, as well as He is their rock, refuge, strength, tower security and inheritance. He will bless and promote His own and He will deliver and honor them.
His Provision - God has promised to meet and supply all their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus and He unlike others is able to keep His word.
His Prosperity – God is not poor or stupid and neither should His children be. He is their security and inheritance and provision in the deserts of life. He is their hiding place! He will move out every mountain and deal with every enemy and dispel every lack in their life. Their prosperity will come upon them as the dawning of a bright and new day. They will not be able to contain their joy and ecstasy at the provision and security He is providing. He will multiply back to them a hundred fold all they have done for Him.
His Providence - The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and though he fall God will not allow him to stay down but will lift him up.
His Promotion – God has promised that for those who set their love upon Him He will deliver them and set them on high because they have known His name. He has promised to make them head and not tail and above and not beneath. They shall call upon Him and He will answer them. He will be with them in trouble and deliver and honor them. With long life He will satisfy His true ones and show them His salvation.
As a result, the psalmist stated it very well about those who put their trust in God alone and not others for their deliverance:
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The LORD shall reign forever- Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! Psalm 146:5-10
For after all is said and done God has not changed. He still is a miracle working God who gives the best to those who ask Him for the best. He gives His all to those who give Him their all and believe Him for His all. His word does not change to His true ones:
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them-the children of Israel. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. “From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:2-9
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Chapter 9
Who Has Believed Our Report?
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? Isaiah 53:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13
Jesus told us, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it (Matthew 7:13).” Thank God Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1:1) He is life to us, understanding, wisdom, healing, deliverance, safety, liberty and prosperity, all we will ever need. Praise God that there are those who believe our report and receive Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (Mark 16:15-20). Heaven is still going to have true sons and daughters in it even though many will be destroyed by their own foolishness and wrong choices!
Jesus said about men and women that we are all brethren "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. (Matthew 23:8).He also told us "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another (John 13:34). And Apostle John told us we are to love the Brethren, We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:14-16).
But it is a fact that many t Christians Fundamentalists, traditional, Evangelical and even Pentecostal hate the brethren and throw them out of their churches and do not lay down their lives for the brethren but character assassinate them and say they are demon possessed and do things not by the power of God but by the power of Satan! They are also saying that women are not brethren!
Many fundamentalist Christians have said Jesus words and teachings don't apply to us but only to the Jews. Apostle Paul's words and teachings apply to the Gentiles that is us. In other words they are saying that Apostle Paul is now our teacher not Christ. Now if this is not replacing Jesus Christ with Apostle Paul then we better get not only our eyes checked but our brains as well.
Fundamentalist believe that the bible is the Word of God and true Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God. And there is a major difference because the former makes all the words of Apostle Paul to be equivalent to the Words of Jesus which is garbage as it nullifies anything what Jesus said or taught by what Paul said or taught. And Jesus never taught that a woman is saved by child birth or that she should be silent in the presence of men or in the church? Rather the bible tells us that Jesus talked a Samaritan women when Jews didn't talk to foreigners never mind woman. If you believe that Jesus words and deeds are greater than Apostle Paul you are not a true Christian.
And concerning Paul’s erroneous teaching that women must be silent in the church it’s contrary to scripture which states:
'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18
The church met and was born on the day of Pentecost when men and women received the baptism of the spirit that Jesus promised and spoke in tongues in the church. They were not told to be silent then and should not be silent now. God's word is unchanging:
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4
So how can women be silent in the church when Apostle Paul told them to speak in tongues and prophesy or unless Paul doesn't consider women to be brethren or Christians or equal to men? God’s word is true:
How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Or did the Word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:26-40
Either women are brethren who can be prophets and operate in their spiritual gifting or they are not brethren and must be silent? Something is wrong with the fundamentalist Christian teachings! Yet God’s word is unchanging:
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. John 11:5
There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. Mark 15:40-41
The bible tells us of Jesus, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). And Jesus told us, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. "For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves (Luke 22:25-27). Yes, New Testament leadership, as modeled by Jesus, portrays the spiritual leader as a servant and it doesn’t exclude women including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Jesus and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee.
It is to be noted that Jesus told us that regardless of gender the people of the world would be classified into sheep or goats depending on how they minister to Him, Him being the hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or prisoners. And as a result of this criteria that goats would go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous sheep into eternal life? God’s word is unchanging:
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus put no distinction on gender classification as to if women cannot minister or be in leadership role? But He did point out "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant (Matthew 23:11). Each leader is basically a servant to others and a bond slave of Jesus Christ. And those who abuse their leadership roles will be dealt harshly by God especially if they hurt or offend others depending on what role they played in the matter:
And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
"Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. "Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. "But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:42-48
Yes, the servant, male or female, who beats other servants, will be cut in two and his portion appointed with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. In the ministry gender is not important but rather their attitude, character and deeds that will result in being demoted or promoted or their portion being appointed with unbelievers. But the bible does give us quite a few examples of women who were in the ministry:[ii]
Old Testament history includes accounts of strong female leadership. Miriam was a prophet, one of the triumvirate of leaders God sent to Israel during the Exodus period (Exodus 15:20). Deborah, as prophet and judge, led the army of the Lord into successful combat (Judges 4 to 5). Huldah, also a prophet, authenticated the scroll of the Law found in the temple and helped spark the great religious reform in the days of Josiah (2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34).
The New Testament also records ministering women in the Church Age. Tabitha (Dorcas) is called a disciple and had a ministry of helps (Acts 9:36). Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied (Act s 21:8, 9). Euodia and Syntyche were Paul's coworkers who shared in his struggle to spread the gospel (Philippians 4:2, 3). Priscilla was another of Paul's exemplary "fellow workers in Christ Jesus" (Romans 16:3, 4, NIV). In Romans 16, Paul greets a multitude of ministering persons, a large number of them women.
Phoebe, a leader in the church at Cenchrea, was highly commended to the church at Rome by Paul (Romans 16:1, 2). Unfortunately, biases of modern English translators have sometimes obscured Phoebe's position of leadership, calling her a "servant" or "helper", etc. Yet Phoebe was diakonos of the church at Cenchrea. Paul often used this term for a minister or leader of a congregation and applied it specifically to Jesus Christ, Tychicus, Epaphras, Timothy, and to his own ministry. Junia was identified by Paul as an apostle (Romans 16:7). But many translators and scholars, unwilling to admit there could have been a female apostle have since the 13th century masculinized her name to Junias. The bible states:
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Romans 16:7
No one questions that the list of greetings in Romans 16 is authentically Paul's. The Greek original assigns to the women mentioned positions of major leadership in the churches. Translators have tried hard to obscure this fact. That they have rejected the plain meaning of the text up until quite recent times, shows how far males, even Christian males, will go to oppose Paul's own views the role of women in the church.
Support for a female named Julia is evidenced by P46, a papyrus manuscript, dating from around a.d. 200. This papyrus represents the earliest known and most reliable testimony in support of Julia. The 3rd century Coptic, 4th century Vulgate, and fifth century Latin versions provide additional early support for this female name. These early manuscripts clearly support a female named "Julia." Junia, the other variant reading, is supported by the earliest known manuscripts available. Sinaiticus dates from the fourth century and is earliest surviving complete copy of the Greek New Testament.16 Codexes A, B, C, D date from the 4th to 5th century and represent a broad spectrum of "text types."
Evidence for Female: Church Leaders and Writings
In commenting on Romans 16:7, John Chrysostom (347-407) states:
"Greet Andronicus and Junia ... who are outstanding among the apostles: To be an apostle is something great! But to be outstanding among the apostles - just think what a wonderful song of praise that is! They were outstanding on the basis of their works and virtuous actions. Indeed, how great the wisdom of this woman must have been that she was even deemed worthy of the title of apostle."17
Chrysostom was not alone in confirming the gender of Junia as female. Earlier commentator Origen of Alexander (185-253) understood the name to be feminine.18 Others included Jerome (340-419) who wrote that Junia was a female. (Liver Interpretationis Hebraicorum Nominum 72,15.), Hatto of Vercelli (924-961), Theophylack (1050-110 , and Peter Abelar (1079-1142).19
External evidence from writings of early church leaders testify that Junias was a woman apostle. Current scholars provide additional insight. Commenting on the gender of Junia, Leonard Swidler states, "To the best of my knowledge, no commentator on the Text until Aegidus of Rome (1245-1316) took the name to be masculine."20 Douglas Moo agrees that commentators before that 13th century were unanimous in favor of a female rendering.21 Stanley Grenz maintains that "the gender of Junia was not an issue in the patristic era ... Origen assumed that Paul's friend was a women .... Chrysostom, who was no supporter of women bishops, expressed high regard for Junia."22 Ray R. Schulz states the Church Fathers agreed that Junia was a female apostle. [iii]
The biblical record shows that Paul was a strong advocate of women's ministry. The instances of women filling leadership roles in the Bible should be taken as a divinely approved pattern, not as exceptions to divine decrees. Even a limited 34-4191 of women with scripturally commended leadership roles should affirm that God does indeed call women to spiritual leadership.
There are passages purporting to be written by Paul that directly oppose women's leadership. Some are found in the Pastoral Epistles, that is, I and II Timothy and Titus. Most scholars today recognize that these were written by church leaders in the next generation, when males were pushing females out of leadership positions in the church. These leaders claimed Paul's authority, but, on this topic, they did not reflect Paul's own views.
In the unquestionably authentic letters of Paul, the most disturbing passage is I Cor. 14:34-36. Here women are told to be silent in church in a context that states that this is the practice in all the churches. Obviously, that is a direct attack on women's leadership. But in other parts of the Corinthians correspondence Paul assumes that women are speaking in church. These verses express a different view in a different style. The text reads smoothly, indeed, more smoothly when these verses are excised. Many scholars now regard them as an interpolation by a Christian of the later generation reflected in the Pastoral Epistles, when women wee being subordinated and silenced. Some Christian leader recognized that Paul's writings, as they stood, did not support the silencing of women. He could not rewrite the letters as a whole, but he could interpolate a passage directly affirming the later patriarchal take-over. For these reasons, in the New Revised Standard Version it has been placed in parentheses. (It is not a good guide to Paul's own views of the role of women.)
Paul's letters are addressed to all the believers in the churches (to which he writes, clearly including women along with men. He did not emphasize this; he just took it for granted.) Many churches, no doubt, included both slaves and their masters, but Paul ignored those distinctions also.) For him, within the church, the(se) distinctions of male and female, slave and master, were not important.
Paul's failure by contemporary feminist standards lies in the fact that he did not try to reform the larger society. He did not encourage marriage, but if Christians participated in this social institution, he assumed they would accept its hierarchical form. (That form was hierarchical.) Women were subordinate to the men who were heads of households. Paul (did not challenge that deeply established social convention. He) admonished wives to obey their husbands.
(At the same time, it is important to recognize that) But Paul spent more time telling the husbands to love their wives and treat them as their own bodies. His language goes as far as one could go toward balance and mutuality without directly rejecting the role and meaning of marriage in the world of that day. (Marriage was a patriarchal institution. The husband was responsible to society for his family. To exercise that responsibility he had to have authority. Paul did not challenge that. But) And he did not carry the patriarchy of the external world into his understanding of the church as the body of Christ. The church was a foretaste of a world that was free from all the hierarchies of the Roman Empire. [iv]
While foolish ones state ‘Women Can Not Preach in the Church’ God's word states:
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” Galatians 3:26-29.
Yes, God doesn't see gender or color in His house today. Yes, Jesus led by example and not by rule of force. While foolish ones state, ‘People are to submit to Preachers’ while God's word states
"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you John 13: 14-15.
Chapter 10
The Power Of The Blood
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Matthew 10:1
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11
The blood that Jesus shed on Calvary from His back and from His side not only forgives all our sins but heals all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease when we combine it with out confession or testimony. Sickness and disease had no power over Jesus who went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Because of the precious shed blood of Jesus applied to our hearts and lives we have victory over the enemy and all sickness and diseases as we confess that by Jesus stripes we were healed. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Heb. 10:19-22
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Eph. 1:3-4
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- 1 Corinthians 1:30
The enemy would have us believe that our present negative circumstances define tomorrow? But that is a lie from the pits of hell for our faith in God and God defines our tomorrow. As a result those who are sick and afflicted in any way can be made perfectly whole and delivered by the power of God for with God nothing is impossible. God’s word is unchanging:
They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, Wondrous works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea. Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them. Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the LORD. Psalm 106:21-25
When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Psalm 126:1-3
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
Although many people do, God’s true children don’t judge things by their natural mind or negative circumstances but by the Word of God and their decrees of how things are to be (Matthew 16:1, Mark 11:23). God has given us the power through the spoken word to change all the negative things in our land and to see it healed and blessed! Jesus gave us His blood, He gave us His name and He gave us His Word. He gave us the authority to rebuke negative things including storms and the devil ourselves. Under the new covenant we say to the mountain ‘be removed and cast into the sea’ and believe in our heart that those things we say will come to pass and we have whatever we say. Hence things seen such as mountain removed result from things not seen, our spoken words.
Through the bible we know and believe of the great things that God has done. And what He has done for one He will do for another! God’s word is unchanging:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:30-34
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:10-11
It’s a defeatist attitude, full of unbelief about the power of God, to let the enemy win in any way in our lives be it through poverty, loss, sickness, disease or demons. Our words spoke by our mouth frame the world that we live or shall live in, not the devil or negative circumstances. We overcome all things by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony just like Jesus did. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He told him what the Word of God stated (Matthew 16:9):
· 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.'
· 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'
· 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'
Just like Habakkuk expressed unshakable confidence in divine deliverance, so can we! God’s word is unchanging:
Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:2-4
Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls- Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk 3:17-19
Through the book of Habakkuk we also see that individuals survive through fidelity to God, even when nations tumble because ungodliness and violence prevail; especially among those who profess the truth. Men tend to forget that God doesn’t overlook injustice and violence to others even by religious ones. Yes, the days come when the cry of sin is heard against those that do wrong and the cry of prayer for those that suffer wrong. And then God sends real judgments upon men through a method of His choosing.
Most men presume on continued prosperity, or that calamities will not come in their days even in our nation. God is the Lord and He does get offended. Though wickedness may prosper a while, yet God is holy, and does not approve the wickedness and will bring judgment even using others. Proud and arrogant ones who are fierce, cruel, unmerciful to take glory to themselves should be aware of God’s wrath. Even though God most times doesn’t execute speedy judgments and evil works and workers and His judgments are delayed, doesn’t mean that they are denied. Men who prey on others will sooner or later be preyed on themselves. God’s word is unchanging:
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. Nahum 1:3
So each one of us must walk humbly before God as all we receive is from Him and we must give Him all the glory. We must not be impatient about anything but trust God in and for all things. When we have poured out complaints and requests before God, we can trust God to provide us an answer in due season. He will not disappoint the believing expectations of those who wait upon Him to see what He will do. Though the promised blessings might be deferred for a season, they will come at last, and abundantly recompense the humble, broken-hearted, saint who waited upon God. Those who are just and live by faith and persevere to the end shall tread the high places of their enemies. While those who distrust or despise God's all-sufficiency will find themselves in place they never expected to be. Yes, What God has done before He can and will do again. And doom always comes to proud and oppressive ones especially those who touch or hurt His servants.
The sins of men do destroy them as they sink themselves down into destruction and perdition. What is gotten by violence from others, others shall take away by violence. Covetousness will bring disquiet and uneasiness into a family; he that is greedy of gain troubles his own house and it brings the curse of God upon all the affairs of it. Yes, there is a lawful gain, which, by the blessing of God, may be a comfort to a house; but what is got by fraud and injustice, will bring poverty and ruin upon a family. God’s word is unchanging:
"Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, Pressing him to your bottle, Even to make him drunk, That you may look on his nakedness! You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also-drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the LORD'S right hand will be turned against you, And utter shame will be on your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, Because of men's blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. "What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, The molded image, a teacher of lies, That the maker of its mold should trust in it, To make mute idols? Woe to him who says to wood, 'Awake!' To silent stone, 'Arise! It shall teach!' Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all. But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him." Habakkuk 2:15-20
The good news is that the Lord revives His work among the people in the midst of the years of adversity and trials. Our God is a God of Mercy and in His wrath He remembers to give mercy to His trusting one who flee to Him for refuge and rely only upon Him. Everything that we go through is seasonal and subject to change by God who still makes His trusting ones more than conquerors even when the vines and the fig trees are destroyed. When all is gone, God is not gone and His miracle working power never ceases. His word is unchanging:
"And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him "and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Acts 7:9-10
Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord-that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:11
Yes, we might have seasons when we meet with losses and crosses in the world, but the joy of the Lord is still our strength. And He will make our feet like deer's feet, and He will make us walk on our high hills. The great redemptive work of our Lord covers the complete person—body, soul and spirit. It reaches even into the realm of physical necessities. Jesus said to his disciples, “Take no anxious thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, How shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31–34).
We don’t live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and God is our source of our total supply, our provision, our exceeding great reward and all that we need. Through God's grace and Spirit we can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and stand until the victory and our breakthrough is manifested proving the faithfulness of our God. In the midst of all our troubles Jesus is still a balm for every wound, a cordial for every care. He is still a friend who sticks closer than a brother!
Joseph M. Scriven,
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
Chapter 11
Test Yourselves
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 2 Corinthians 13:5-8
rep·ro·bate n. 1. A morally unprincipled person. 2. Theology. One who is predestined to damnation. --rep·ro·bate adj. 1. Morally unprincipled; shameless. 2. Theology. Rejected by God and without hope of salvation.
Securists would have us believe that God wrote our names in the Book of Life at the beginning of time and therefore if our name is in it, we are eternally secure . However Revelation 3:5 tells us, "He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life." Jesus is talking here of those that overcome not having their name erased from the Book of Life. The importance of being an overcomer is ignored by securists and by those who believe in “one saved, always saved.” Yet God’s word is unchanging:
"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 10:22
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16
In the 20th Century there arose a gimmick of "get saved" religion where by repeating or giving ascent to a few scriptures meant the person was saved, and not only saved but ‘once saved always saved.’ Even though the Word of God teaches that obedience of the voice of God until the end brings great blessings and disobedience to God’s word brings curses, many have refused to accept this truth. But the fact remains that stubborn, disobedient believers will not be saved, but condemned by Christ Jesus in the judgment. God’s word is unchanging:
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:1-6
"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: "Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. "Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. "Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. "Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:15-18
The false ones who espouse the doctrine of demons of once saved always saved conveniently reject the words of Jesus who told all:
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:5-9
They conveniently forget that king Saul the anointed one who prophesied with the prophets and had a supernatural miraculous change of heart and was filled with the Spirit of God was rejected by God and the Spirit was removed from him because he rejected the Word of God that was given to him. He committed the sin of omission which many evangelicals have done and still do. He omitted the parts of the Word of God that were not to his liking even though God’s word states:
Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 'Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' " 1 Samuel 15:1-3
The end is here…again. At every calendar milestone, self-proclaimed modern-day "prophets" arise to stir up a furor rivaled only by the impending apocalypse they predict. This doom-and-gloom prognostication is not only spread by a few fanatics, but millions of Christians, including some of the most recognized names in mainstream Christianity, are caught up in the latest "last days" frenzy. Seduced by the popular craze, they are driven not to action, but to radical inactivity, ineffectiveness, and lethargy while waiting for the easy-out "end."[v] But the other side of the coin is that there are Christian leaders who are busy spinning their wheels preaching the gospel and going no where because they are doing it all in their own strength and wisdom and are not being led by the Holy Spirit just like king Saul. Saul, the first king of Israel, was not seeking to serve God; he was only concerned about lost donkeys. So when he received the spirit of God and was anointed as king, he was not inwardly prepared. Because of this, he soon lost both.
King Saul was not a bad king. Rather he was an excellent king who had the favor of his people until he died even though the Lord was upset with him and had turned his face from him. Saul was no different than most prominent religious leaders of our day who pick and choose what parts of the bible they will obey. Saul attacked the Amalekites and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword but Saul and the people spared king Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. All this caused the word of the LORD to come to Samuel:
"I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night. 1 Samuel 15:11
Sins of omission like King Saul are very common amongst Christian leaders in America today. Many Christian leaders are no different from King Saul as they don’t do specifically what Jesus instructed them to do? Jesus was very clear in His commands:
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:14-20
In the Christian world there are many doctrines of demons including ‘once saved, always saved,’ ‘universal salvation,’ miracles, tongues and the gifts of the Spirit have ceased, and the local church is God’s representative on earth. It’s all hogwash because none of it matches the words of Jesus who said that "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:5-8) .
Those who are overcome shall not inherit all things and to say anything else is to be a liar! And liars don’t go to heaven but to hell. It's only those who abide in Jesus word are His disciples indeed:
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. John 8:31
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:4-8
The problem we have today is that too many of God’s people are listening to pastors, priests and preachers who know only slightly more than them. They listen to pastors, priests and preachers who have a form of godliness but deny its power. Pastors, priests and preachers who don’t do what Jesus has commanded them to do! It’s a fact that people need real miracles and healing and not just words that are dead the moment they are spoken because they don’t have life in them. Life comes from God and His Spirit and not from them. Life gives life and not just empty promises of a pie in the sky! God’s word is unchanging:
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know- Acts 2:22
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:5-8
Phillip was not an apostle but an ordinary layman filled with faith and the Spirit of God chosen to serve upon the widows. And if Philip and Barnabas could have a miracle ministry than any pastors, priest and preacher can if he is a true man of God. For the same Spirit that was on Jesus is available to be on all His servants. God’s word is unchanging:
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:1-5
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:1-3
The Lord has come not only to forgive all our iniquities, heal all our diseases, redeem our life from destruction, crown us with loving-kindness and tender mercies, satisfy our mouth with good things, execute righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed but to heal the broken hearted, to set the prisoners free, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness that they might be called the tree of righteousness.
Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich. Hence we are called to:
Preach the gospel (good news) to the poor = Break the power of poverty Heal the broken hearted = those whose souls are hurt, disappointed and hopeless
Proclaim liberty to captives = deliverance from demonic spirits
Recovery of sight to the blind = recovering vision, clarity and purpose - Break Confusion
Set at liberty those who are oppressed (bruised) = Message of Freedom from all bondage
Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord = to bring and release favor of the Lord.
Proclaim the day of vengeance of our God= Message of judgment to unrepentant ones
On the cross of Calvary when Jesus said, "It is finished!" He had achieved everything that we need for our redemption and salvation - be it spiritual, physical, and financial. He has removed from us all the curses the Adam and Eve had brought upon us by their transgression as outlined in Deuteronomy 28:15-66. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:13-14) By our works we cannot add or remove on thing that Jesus had done for us, except to enter into the rest God’s has prepared for us since the foundation of the world by mixing with faith the good news of the gospel (Hebrews 4:1-12).
The stone at Jesus’ grave site was miraculously rolled away for us as we now serve a resurrected glorious Christ whose power and glory and riches and victory has been restored to Him. It’s just like God to take the useless and worthless things of our lives and to replace it with something priceless. Yes, we get wonderful things from God such as healing, health, wealth and prosperity in return for all the negative things we give up including sickness, diseases, poverty and penury.
Yes, the same anointing that was upon David, Jesus and all the Apostles is to be on all of God’s servants today! Yes, they can have the same Spirit of the LORD resting upon them, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. As a result their delight will be in the fear of the LORD, and they shall not judge by the sight of their eyes, nor decide by the hearing of their ears; But by the Spirit of the LORD with righteousness they shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; they shall strike the earth with the rod of their mouths, And with the breath of their lips they shall slay the wicked. God’s word is unchanging:
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:4-8
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 1 Corinthians 1:17
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Chapter 12
The Seed Is The Word of God
"While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease." Genesis 8:22
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:7-9
God has ordained that all His blessings come through the seed of the Word of God. Whatever we need or desire we plant the seed of the Word of God in our hearts and in due season it will produce the desired result if the enemy doesn’t steal it or if we don’t give up. We are the farmers who are responsible to ensure that we get a good plentiful harvest from the seeds of the Word of God that we have put into our lives. We must also water the seeds with prayer. God’s word is unchanging:
"Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. "Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. "But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. "Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:11-15
Yes, we wrestle daily not against flesh and flood but against powers of darkness led by Satan who are out to steal, kill and destroy. Satan's primary objective is to discredit God. And spoiling our bodies is one way he operates. Created in the image of God, we are caught in the middle of this spiritual battleground. We are commanded to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.," (1 Peter 5:8). He will devour us with disease and sickness if we let him. Our great advantage is that God sent His Son to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:3). God through Jesus Christ will destroy Satan's evil work in our body! But our failures come because of an imperfect understanding of God's word. God's word declares that, "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Satan our adversary knows the truth better than we do. Until we discover and start claiming what is legally ours, Satan will continue his harassment and assault on our life. He knows our weak areas and he is full of different wiles that he uses on God’s people including attacking their finances and saying it’s God who did it for their best good or attacking their bodies and saying God wants to produce character in them! But the character of Jesus in us comes through the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of the Spirit and manifests the gifts of the Spirit in us.
Unfortunately due to carnal thinking, preconceived ideas, hidden fear or pride, unconfessed or un-dealt sins, looking to men rather than God, lack of discernment and being deceived through religious bondage, such as Deaf and Dumb Spirit, stupor, dullness, many of God’s people fail to get their needed healing and then say it wasn’t God’s will. But that is nothing but a lie from the pits of hell for if God only healed one of His children He has an obligation to heal all of His children as He is no respecter of persons and shows partiality to no one!
The enemy steals the Word before it can become firmly rooted in them to produce the healing. The truth is that sickness is the result of an oppression of the devil. Acts 10:38 says, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.." The devil inflicts us with sickness and doesn’t want God's Word to bring healing and destroys his work. The devil continually tries to reestablish his infliction by stealing the truth of the Word from us (Matthew 13:19). He tries to steal the Word before it can become firmly rooted in us to produce the desired beneficial result - be it salvation, deliverance, healing, blessing and prosperity. The devil knows that the Word of God is more powerful than his works including sickness and poverty. So he works hard to cut-off the Word in us before it gets rooted. Only seed rooted produces a harvest. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience
We know that not all are saved (even though it's God's will that none should perish) because not all appropriate the blessing of Salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ. In the same light, not all appropriate the blessing of Divine Healing because not all HAVE ABSOLUTE FAITH that Jesus desires to heal them. Nevertheless we have the right and authority to claim healing from God when we are a born again Christian (Matthew 13:15); when we are diligently Listening to God (Exodus 15:26); when we are attending to God's word (Proverbs 4:20-22); and when our faith is unwavering (James 1:6-7). The word is near us; it is in our mouth and in our heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if we confess with our mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. (Saved here literally means Restored to Health!) For it is with our heart that we believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that we confess and are saved. (Restored to Health!)" (Romans 10:8-10). We can stand on the truth that the Lord is our strength and our fortress, our refuge in time of distress (Jeremiah. 16:19). His word is unchanging:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:1-3)
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
God created and sustains heaven and earth by the power of the spoken word and He has given us the same power to speaking things into existence, to call things forth, and to speak to things to change. God's word is infused into us by giving voice to it with our own mouth, and this is the language of health to our body. We are to tell Satan, out-loud, that he is overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony! (Revelation 12:11). We are to tell him that we are washed clean by the blood of Jesus and that by His stripes we are healed, that we refuse to accept the curse of sin and sickness. Jesus died to give us life and we choose life and blessings, not death and curses (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). The more we speak the Word, the more we believe. It is supernatural medicine bringing faith to our spirit which works and permeates into our physical body. A continual affirmation of God's Word in faith calls for the healing which is already ours and will build into our immune system a supernatural anointing that is capable of eliminating sickness and disease in our natural body. We are to resist the devil and tell Him God’s word until our healing is manifested. And we are never to doubt the power of prayer because God’s word is unchanging:
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. Matthew 8:13
Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-24
"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:23-24
Salvation in the old covenant never referred to the healing of the soul as some Christians presently define it. It always talked about preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil. or about a source, means, or cause of such preservation or deliverance. So why in the world should the New covenant be inferior to the Old Covenant? It isn't and that is why Jesus said to the man whose sin He was about to forgive:
"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." Matthew 9:6
So technically and biblically speaking in the New Testament or the New Covenant salvation means forgiveness of sins and healing of sickness and diseases! And that is why Peter had no problem telling the crippled man:
Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Acts 3:6
Salvation in the New Testament is a demonstration of the fact that God cares for the whole man body, soul and spirit and not just his soul. And that is why John the Apostle of Love wrote:
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 3 John 1:2-3
The truth is that in the New Covenant salvation is now for the whole man including that we prosper in all things and be in health just as our soul prosper in fulfillment of what God had prophesied for His people through prophet Ezekiel:
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. "Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. "I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. "And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. Ezekiel 36:26-30
There is no more need for Christians to live in a famine of any sort, be it spiritual or physical, because God is now their God and He has promised to meet and supply all their needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
Musa Opiyo
Heb 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things for, the evidence of things not seen.
I am looking for faith in the hearts of My Beloved in this season. Faith in My Written Word. Faith in the word that I have spoken to you shall indeed come to pass. This is how it works in My kingdom. I speak to things that were not as though they were and it is done. I have spoken many promises to you of the things to come this year. Some of them have been feasible, yet some have seemed outright outrageous. I hear the hearts and mouths of My beloved shouting yes and amen to those things they perceive with their natural eyes as possible, yet I hear the sighings of those things that seem like mountains. Those things that to you would say 'wouldn't happen in a million years'.
I am not going to do in a million years what I am prepared to do in the NOW for those who would trust Me. I have opened great avenues of faith for My people to walk in and take the promises made to them yet I see very few actually stepping out of the boat. I made My promise of provision, of power, of strengthening by My Spirit to all My children. If these promises was meant for only a chosen few then I would have only made that accessible to them. Yet when I died and gave My life for all, whatever I said you would do and accomplish shall be done because you have accepted Me into your heart and you are My blood washed covenant child.
Beloved let it be known to you that if you have read My promises in the Bible for you, then it was meant for you to claim it by faith and lay hold of that made available for you. I said greater works shall you do than what I did upon this earth. This is the year of the greater works. Not for the purpose of entertainment or for the exaltation of man or ministry, but so that the harvest would be gathered and brought into My storehouse. This is the year indeed to speak life into those things that were dead and call them to life. This is indeed the time to lay hands on the sick, even to merely declare healing upon those with infirmities and see them recover.
I have indeed in this day sent sent forunners with My anointing to show and equip My Body how to walk in the power and the anointing of the Spirit. It is not by any strength of their own but through faith in Me and in the fact that I will meet them with signs and wonders following.
Now My beloved church it is time to pick up the mantle of faith and walk through your 'River Jordans' and 'Red Seas'. This is indeed the time to march around your 'Jericho walls' and trumpet forth My word and see them crumble. This is indeed the time to let those stones fly and knock your goliaths to their death. All this accomplished by faith.
My people the enemy has launched the offensive against you, yet I have already given him into your hands to claim the victory. With the shield of faith deflect the arrows that are released. Because I sit on the throne says the Lord. I have released an army of faith warriors who will march across the lands of the earth under My direction waving high the banner, 'If my God is for me, then sho shall be against me?'.
My people, yes it is a time of great war in the heavenlies, but it is also a time of great grace and favor where I shall release great faith upon My people to take back the land that was stolen, to take back the lost family, to take back the businesses that were stolen and reclaim them.My people it is not a time to remain passive, but to rise up in faith, yield to Me and say, 'Lord here I am. Send me and use me for your Glory and yours alone'.
I tell you that faith will open the door to the miraculous, to the healings, to the victories and I am calling each and every one of My Beloved chosen to get into their positions and seek Me concerning what I would have them do
I speak forh now and declare to you to speak forth those things that were not as though they were. Even that mustard seed faith shall move the mountains and cause the enemy to be displaced, for I have a people who will move out in great faith says the Lord.
Chapter 13
I Will Show Him My Salvation
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:14-16
Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:17-20
The Lord remains to His trusting ones a great Savior, Healer, Deliverer and Provider. No matter what negative circumstance they might find themselves in, they can always call upon the Lord and He will answer them. He will be with them in trouble. He will deliver them and honor them. With long life He will satisfy them and show them His salvation. He has already sent His Word, Jesus, and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. His eyes are always upon them and His ears are open to their cries. His word is unchanging:
But You, O GOD the Lord, Deal with me for Your name's sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me. …Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, That they may know that this is Your hand- That You, LORD, have done it! Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice. Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude. For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him. Psalm 109:21-31
Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. Psalm 112:1-8
The Lord doesn’t forget the cry of the poor and needy! He still raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes- with the princes of His people. He still grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. He still blesses those who fear the LORD, both small and great. It is still better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Our help is still in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. The LORD is great, and is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S; but the earth He has given to the children of men. His word is unchanging:
Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:6-8
I know that the LORD will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence. Psalm 140:12-13
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:7-11
Yes, the Lord will save us with His right hand. He will perfect that which concerns us. He will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and give justice for the poor. And He will empower us to care for the poor and needy. Yes, the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit provide power for caring for people who seek to overcome problems of living including casting out demons and healing the sick. God’s word is unchanging:
"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:15-20
Any person who can be used by the Holy Spirit to lead another to salvation or along the way of sanctification is competent to be used by God to give wise counsel and give healing and deliverance without needing specialized biblical counseling training. The ordinary believer, who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and has found the Lord and His Word sufficient in his life, is equipped to minister to a fellow believer who is struggling with personal issues of life. The very first Christians ministered to those suffering from problems of living. They preached the Gospel, taught new believers, and cared for their souls and bodies. Rather than basing their ministry on psychological theories, they based their ministry on what Jesus had taught them and on the Old Restatement scriptures. They did not seek or use psychological methodology, but relied on revealed truth. They believed Jesus’ words when He said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8: 31,32). They counted on Christ working in and through them as He had clearly explained in His analogy of the vine and the branches (John 15). They relied on the work of the Holy Spirit. They understood the centrality of the spiritual life, of Christ in them. When they drifted into following the ways of men, the Apostle Paul wrote to them and urged them not to follow the wisdom of men, but to rely on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:2-5; Colossians 2:6- 10).
The early Christians didn’t charge anyone for ministry but freely gave what they had freely received. They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. The ministry of mutual care, given to edify the church and to glorify God, is a calling of God on the life of every believer. We as believers are called by God to minister to one another according to the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Struggles of the soul and problems of living are to be dealt with as spiritual problems with spiritual solutions. The Reformation was a turning point in church history and it produced two great teachings Sola Scriptura and the priesthood of all believers. Sola Scriptura means by Scripture alone. The priesthood of all believers means that believers, guided by the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit, are equipped and called to minister to one another in the Body of Christ. We can have confidence in the efficacy of Scriptures and the knowledge that:
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:12-17
James, the leader of the first Christian church in Jerusalem, wrote, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). Biblical doctrines of confession, repentance, forgiveness, exhortation, encouragement, and comfort were taught and practiced in the early church. Doctrines of the believer’s position in Christ and Christ in the believer and of the active work of the Holy Spirit were taught and followed. These spiritual ways of living the normal Christian life were also the believer’s means to mental, emotional, and spiritual healing through the centuries. The cure and care of people was the application of Scripture to the life of the believer through the ministries given to the church through the Holy Spirit. The care of people depends upon all of the “alones” of the Reformation:
Sola Scriptura by Scripture alone
Sola Gratia by grace alone
Solo Christo by Christ alone
Sola Fide by faith alone
Soli Deo Gloria glory to God alone
These principles apply to all aspects of salvation, including justification, sanctification, and glorification. Believers are to continue their walk with the Lord on the same basis as their initial salvation by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by Christ alone, by faith alone, and to the glory of God alone. We don’t reject the individual life of the believer within the Body of Christ, in which we have the fellowship and the priesthood of all believers. We embrace mutual care within the Body of Christ, performed by a priesthood of all believers We reject psychological counseling for theories and methodologies underlying psychotherapy come from the wisdom of men and cannot be integrated with Scripture without doing violence to the Word of God. Psychological counseling depends on the works of the flesh rather than the grace of God, even when practiced by Christians. Thereby the flesh is strengthened and spiritual growth is retarded or stagnated. Psychological counseling is not by Christ alone, even if the counselor is a Christian, because the models and methods are unsanctified human means and depend upon unsanctified human effort. Psychological counseling depends on a faith other than faith in the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Psychological counseling depends on faith in the counselor and the counseling process. Psychological counseling cannot be Soli Deo Gloria, because the psychology together with the counselor and the so-called counselee get the credit.
Yes, Christ paid the price for sin through His own substitutionary death. Then He rose again to give new life to every believer. His death canceled the debt of sin. That is the initial cure for sin and hell-bound death. Christ’s life in every believer provides the ongoing care, not only for each individual believer but for the entire Body of Christ. Jesus Christ ministers directly to each believer and also indirectly through believers to one another. This is the outworking of the care of people who “joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:21-22). God’s word is true:
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:41-47.
Chapter 14
The Sower Sows The Word
"The sower sows the word. "And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. "These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; "and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, "and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. "But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." Mark 4:10-20
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the same word of God sown in the hearts of men doesn’t produce the same result! Each person is different in many ways including character, experiences, hurts, disappointments, expectations, and desires. As a result he handles the same word of God differently. For some easy come easy go. They are like Esau who for temporal things gave away quite readily eternal things. While others are just a puff of hot air? They are excited at the possibility of the Word of God and what it can do. But the cost is too great and they do not have the persistence and endurance which is required to see the Word of God give fruit in due season? While others are very sincere and presumptive but unfortunately they get side tracked by the cares s of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things. All things which choke the word which was sown in them and they become unfruitful.
Then there are those who understand the growth process and it takes time for the Word of God to develop it in God’s darkroom. Development in the trials and testing of life when many times nothing makes sense. The wise ones understand the word “patience” because God’s promises are inherited through faith and patience. As a result they go from Step A, B, C, D consecutively and prosper, instead of going from Step A to Step D as others do and crash. God's word is true:
"But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:14
Jesus also said something about the seed of the word of God that men tend to ignore even though He came from the author and finisher of faith. God's word records:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. John 12:24-36
There is a process of where the seed has to be put into the ground and die. Unfortunately there are those who do not let the seed die while others do not give the seed a chance to do its thing. For God's word tells us there is a process which is not necessarily understandable:
Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. "For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."
And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, "and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. "But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." Mark 4:24-29
So the hearer must take head of the measure he uses to hear. As "For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Then the seed must sprout and grow and there must be the full grain in the head. Then when the grain ripens it is time to harvest what was sown. Seed which is not sown will never be harvested? It is hard for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven because they do not want to give away their riches. They want instead to horde them only for themselves whatever riches they posses selfishly and greedily. So with men is it impossible to be saved but not with God. For with God all things are possible.
Another important truth about the seed of the word of God is that the promises of God only profit those who when they hear the word they mix it with faith. It doesn’t profit those who don’t use their faith or have given up their faith. This is something that Jesus brought out to His unbelieving disciples who saw and expererienced the many miracles that He did. The bible records for our profit and instruction.
Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" Mark 4:36-41
Yes, in life we experience real sudden storms like sickness, disease, distress, financial losses, that threaten to sink our little earthen vessel. And in the middle of these storms we are not to panic but to have faith in God and speak to the storms just like Jesus did and rebuke them and say to them "Peace, be still. It’s to be noted that the Hebrew word for peace is shalom (both adjective and substantive), meaning, primarily, "soundness," "health," "prosperity," well-being in general, all good in relation to both man and God. God wants peace and prosperity to be within our walls and palaces. He wants His people and His church to be sound, healthy, wealthy, and prosperous and have favor with God and with men. Hence we can rebuke anything that takes away our peace and root it out, pull it down, destroy it, and throw it down. God’s word is unchanging:
Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant." Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree." Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word." Jeremiah 1:9-12
With the anointing that God has put on us and the words in our mouth we can also root out and pull down, destroy and throw down, build and plant things, including nations and kingdoms and principalities. And the good news is that God, who watches over His Word, wants performance out of what He as put into our mouth. He has promised that His words that go forth out of His mouth shall not return unto Him void but shall accomplish that which He pleases and it shall prosper in the thing He has sent it. His word is true:
"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Isaiah 55:10-13
The Word of God comes like snow and rain. The snow and the rain bring seed and bread - seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall the Word of God be - it will cause nice trees to grow where there once were thorns. Where there were briers and thistles, there will now be myrtle trees. We know thorns and thistles came into the Garden of Eden because of sin - because of mankind that listened to the words and temptation of Satan and fell for sin. There instead of the beautiful trees, came thorns and thistles. God says that His word that comes forth from His mouth, the word that comes like the rain that brings forth seed and bread (seed for the sower, bread for the eater - so is the word that comes from God, it will not return unto Him void) will cause thorns and thistles to disappear and again there shall be beautiful trees. Instead of thorns and thistles, there will be trees.
When will there be beautiful fir trees and myrtle trees? When we accept the word that goes forth from the mouth of God. What is this word? Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. God said it. This Word is the Word that became flesh, which is the bread of life. If we partake of that, if we fellowship with that, we will be totally free and we will have seed and bread.
Yes, if God has a Word and He gives it to us, He is going to watch over it to perform it and every Word that proceeds forth out of His mouth, shall not return empty. He will see to it that His Word will accomplish what it was sent to do for God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent. Has He not said and shall He not do it? Has He not spoken and shall it not come to pass? (Numbers 23:19). Yes, if God said something, He shall accomplish it. Hence if we are not healthy, wealthy and successful the problem is not with God. It's probably that we didn’t receive the Word of God into our life which is Jesus or we didn’t mix the Word of God with faith. But God’s word is unchanging:
Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. Isaiah 56:5
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:11-12
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. Hebrews 4:1-2
Chapter 15
Moved With Compassion
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. Matthew 14;14
"Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. Matthew 18:27
Jesus never taught nor gave blanket forgiveness to any one. For forgiveness with out repentance and restitution is nothing but cheap grace. Jesus said to the man who had an infirmity thirty-eight years at the pool at pool, Bethesda after He had healed Him:
"See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." John 5:14
Even to the women who was caught in adultery and Jesus had compassion on her and said to her:
"Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." John 8:11
Mind you it seems that some people do not listen to the words of Jesus and give offense to another brother numerous times. God’s word records:
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. "And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. "But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
"The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' "Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'
"So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' "And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. "So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.
"Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 'Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' "And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." Matthew 18:22-35
Now the bottom line is that Jesus said that those who did not forgive from their heart their brother their trespasses would be dealt with by God. For it seems that some people when they forgive others they do it grudgingly. Their sin seems to be a hardness of heart that does not allow them to have compassion on others and measure the same measure to others that God has measured to them. But forgiveness of a person does not invalidate the Word of God which states:
'You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. 'And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. 'You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. Leviticus 19:11-13
'You shall not steal. 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.' Deuteronomy 5:19-21
"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. "And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. "You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother's, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself. Deuteronomy 22:1-3
God requires honesty, integrity, truthfulness and restoration from those who are called by His name. They are not to steal, bear false witness, nor covet nor desire what belongs to their neighbor be it their wife, servant, or possessions. Those who have accepted Christ are to put of their old nature and its deceitful lusts and are to put on the new man according to the Word of God:
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 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. Ephesians 4:20-28
Men cannot continue doing things which are wrong and sinful and not repenting about it and then asking others for forgiveness. They have to stop lying, stealing and are to work with their hands so that they might give something to those who have need. For God’s word is true:
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, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:20-32
Weakness of character is one thing and is to be forgiven but a life style is another thing and is not to be so easily forgiven. For God’s word is true especially of those who are religious leaders:
For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.
One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:7-16
Paul not only did he not forgive those whose life style was unChrist like but he also advocated that these liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons be rebuked and their mouths stopped. Especially for subverting others in deceiving and teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. Now this is something which those who talk continually about the importance of love and forgiveness never talk about rebuke and dealing with those who are false. But those who walk in the Spirit of the Lord have put off the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts. They put on the new man which was created in God in true righteousness and holiness. They have put away lying and speak truth to one another. They do not give place to the devil and do not steal from others. They labor with their hands so that they might give something to those who are in need. They do not grieve the Holy Spirit and have renounced the hidden things of shame. They do not walking in craftiness nor handle the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commend themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Those who do not do justice but injustice become the adversaries and enemies of God on whom He will take vengeance and turn His hand against them. God does not forgive His enemies. Especially those who disobey His commands and have become murderers, rebels, thieves and prostitutes and do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
God does not forgive those who have not put away the evil of their doings from before His eyes by not ceasing to do evil, learning to do good, Seeking justice nor rebuking the oppressor. Such as these are not His people no matter what they call themselves. The other fact of the matter that such as these never consider that Jesus told the truth when He stated
"For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Mark 4:25
Yes! Even what they have will be taken away from them while for others who already have too much, more shall be given. Isn't life wonderful?
Chapter 16
You Can Be Saved, Healed And Delivered!
I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. Psalm 30:1-2.
Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:17-20
Yes, God saved, healed and delivered His afflicted people from their destructions under the Old Testament and under the New Testament. Yes, the cross of Christ shows how earnestly God desires to heal us. Yes, it’s true that healing of the body is linked with forgiveness of sins and a covenant relationship with God. Yes, we need to realize that Jesus redeemed us from all effects of the sin and fall of man, and that as a result we can be healed if we acknowledge Christ as our Savior and Lord. Physical death and sickness entered the world through sin, the cure is salvation in Jesus. By coming to Christ in sincere repentance, we can know Him as Savior, Healer, and Deliverer. His word is unchanging:
I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3
It is a fact that the Old Testament types and prophesies, and the New Testament fulfillment of those types and prophecies, prove that through the atonement of Jesus we can be saved and healed. It is also a wonderful fact that the lovely God of love died to redeem us from all the effects of sin. The cross of Jesus causes us to confidently expect miracles, healing and deliverance from God. The God who gave His Son for us will also with Him freely give us all things. The redeeming work of Jesus is the basis of every blessing the Christian receives. Christ's death was the foundation of creation, of redemption and all the blessing of the new covenant and makes us complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. God’s word is unchanging:
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Colossians 2:6-10
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD.
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:6-13
Jesus said that His delivering love and power in the age of grace was to be likened to "the acceptable year of the Lord," that is, the year of Jubilee. Well every fiftieth year, or more precisely, on the tenth day of the seventh month of the 49th. year, on the great day of atonement, the sounding of the trumpets proclaimed the year of release and redemption. Every inheritance throughout Israel was restored to its former ancient family owner. All prisoners, captives and slaves were given their freedom, and all debts were absolved. The land, as on the Sabbath years, enjoyed a year of rest, and was not sowed or reaped, its natural produce was the property of all, to partake as they needed it. The blessing of God gave an abundant harvest to make up for the deficiency of food due to the suspension of work in the seventh year. The sixth year yielded a miraculous supply sufficient to meet the need of three years. (Lev.25v8-23.)
However God’s word, 'Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land, 'And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family,’ Leviticus 25:9-10, tells us that no blessing of the year of Jubilee was to be announced by the sounding of the trumpet, until the blood of the bullock slain as a sin offering was sprinkled upon the mercy seat on the day of atonement.
And now through the death and shed blood of Christ, the slaves and prisoners of sin, sickness and Satan can know complete release and deliverance, rejoicing in the forgiveness of their sin. Through Christ's atoning death salvation and healing can be ours. So we come to Jesus for salvation and healing and He will give it to us on the grounds of His atoning death. Throughout the Scriptures we see that it was the blood of the atonement that was the grounds of healing. In Levitucs 14:18,19., we read that atonement was made for the lepers cleansing, and we read in Numbers 16:45-50., and 2 Samuel 24:10-25., of plagues being stayed because of the atonement. God’s word is true:
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:5-9
The Word of God tells us that the bronze serpent was a type of Christ's atonement, and the Israelites were healed through looking at it. If forgiveness and healing came to all who looked at the brazen serpent, the type of Christ's atonement, then, surely, by looking to the fulfillment of that type, our dear Lord Jesus, we can expect greater blessings than the Israelites experienced through the type of Christ’s atonement? God’s word is unchanging:
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:14-16
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." John 12:32
This proved true in the ministry of Jesus, He healed all that came to Him of every disease and sickness. Christ's death is now the basis of every blessing that we receive as Christians for Jesus is the Savior who forgives ALL our in iniquities and heals ALL our diseases.
In Exodus 15:26., God promised to be "God the healer," and though it is a conditional promise, like all the promises of God, it reveals God as the healer of His people. Also similar promise is in Exodus 23:25,26., where God promises His obedient children, "I will take sickness from the midst of thee and the number of thy days I will fulfill," and again Psalm 91:6, promises those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High long life. (Psalm 90:10.) These promises are conditional upon the keeping of the moral law, and law of health laid down in the law.
Some would say that we cannot claim these Old Testament promises, however, Jesus showed by His ministry that these promises are to be extended even to the Gentiles in this new dispensation. Many such lovely promises as Deuteronomy 33:25,27. Johuas 1:5,9. Isaiah 40:31. Psalm 23 etc., given originally to Israel, comfort and encourage Christ's Church today. We can also find comfort and healing through such Old Testament promises as Exodus 15:26, 23:25, Psalm 103:3. These promises are "Yea and Amen" in Christ, when we fulfill the conditions that God laid down with them. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us-by me, Silvanus, and Timothy-was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:17-22
We read in the Gospels that Jesus healed all the sick in the multitudes that came to Him. The inspired exposition of Isaiah 53:4 in Matthew.8:16-17., informs us that Jesus healed all in the light of His atonement. Like the scapegoat, Christ has borne away the sins and sicknesses of all who trust in Him and His redeeming blood (Levitcus 16:22). It is foolish and unscriptural to say that healing is not in the atonement. Jesus died to deliver us from our sicknesses and pains as well as our transgressions and iniquities, He comes to give us peace of body as well as peace of soul.
The truth is indisputable, Christ's substitutionary death extends to healing of the body as well as the soul. Delitzsch, one of the greatest Hebrew scholars of all time, states there is a substitutionary and "mediatorial sense" in the words of Isaiah 53:4. In Isaiah 53:4, the same two verbs, "nasa," borne, and "sabal," carried, which are used to tell us that Jesus "bore our sicknesses and carried our pains," are the identical verbs that are used in Isiah 53:11,12., to state that Jesus bore our sins and iniquities for us as our substitute. This proves that healing is one of the "all things" that are given to us through our Lord's atonement.
In Isaiah 53:4., "surely," is "aken," which means, surely, indeed, certainly, and truly. It is worthy of note that the only "surely" in the redemptive chapter of Isaiah53, is before the promise of healing for the body, so we can "surely" expect healing for our bodies as well as for our souls. This "surely" is emphasized in Matthew 8:17., when Matthew says that the prophesy of Isaiah 53:4. was "fulfilled", it means that it was "filled full," that is, the full extent of its promise was revealed. The full extent of the promise of Isaiah 53:4., is healing for ALL who come to God for healing.
The Christ of the cross is the perfect remedy for all our needs, both spiritual and physical. Through the shedding of Christ's blood, all who believe are redeemed from the curse of the law. Galatians 3:13. We can claim healing on the grounds of Christ's atonement, just as we can claim salvation from our sins, it is part of our salvation, it is a privilege for all who believe in Jesus. Jesus said that most people will not believe that God wants to heal them, so He did miracles to confirm that it is God's will to heal those who come to Him for healing (John 4:48).
When the angels came to the shepherds, they brought the best tidings possible, "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord". (Lk.2v10,11.) The angelic choirs told of the intense desire of God to bring peace to mankind because of His goodwill and love. They proclaimed the greatest event of all history, God manifested in flesh to save mankind. When Jesus came to show His goodwill and to give His peace and salvation, what did He do? The gospels reveal that Jesus saved and healed all who came to Him in faith, confessing their need, He showed the wonderful goodwill of God, we never read of one needy person being refused, the only stipulation that Jesus made was that people came to Him in repentance and faith.
When Jesus preached the sermon at Nazareth in Luke4., His message proclaimed the perfect benevolence and goodwill of God. He said, in effect, "Today, you can prove the truth of Isaiah 61:1,2. and 58:6., you can prove the goodness of God in saving and healing power." TODAY He tells YOU that there is deliverance for all the captives because of His atonement.
When Jesus read these Scriptures in the synagogue at Nazareth, He showed the will of God in relation to deliverance from sin and sickness. Christ came to preach salvation, to heal the sick and broken hearted, to deliver Satan's captives, and set mankind at liberty. Christ came to bring salvation, health, and happiness, He could say, "This day, is the Scriptures filled full in your ears, through my ministry". Jesus showed God's will for them and for us. He explained and demonstrated God's strong desire to bless them.
The tragedy was that they did not receive the promised blessings offered to them by Jesus, because of their prejudice, contemptuous familiarity, unspiritual carnal outlook, and rank unbelief, and we can miss enjoying the promises of God and the blessings of Christ by the same unbelief, ignorance, and unspiritual carnality. God’s word is unchanging:
Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. Mark 6:1-6
Chapter 17
God’s People Have Committed Two Evils
"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns-broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13
Down through the centuries men have not changed. They do not want to reap what they have sown and want to reap what they have not sown. They do not understand the words of Jesus who told them:
"Judge not, that you be not judged. "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:1-5
Men do not understand that the judgment they judge others will be applied to them and the measure they measure to others will be measured to them. Men have always judged others and will continue to do the same until the end of time. But they have not judged properly as Jesus did in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. For God’s word is true:
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:1-5
Jesus and God’s true ones do not judge by the sight of their eyes nor decide by the hearing of their ears. But with righteousness they shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. They shall strike the earth with the rod of their mouth, and with the breath of their lips they shall slay the wicked. We have a classic example of this kind of judgment in the Word of God concerning King David and his secret adulterous sin with Bathsheba. God’s word records:
Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: "There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. "The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. "But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him.
"And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! "And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity." 2 Samuel 12:1-6
David ignorantly in judging the story which Prophet Nathan relayed to him had pronounced his own judgment on himself. For men are so quick to judge others harshly for the crimes that they themselves are guiltier off. Mind you there are things which God does not forgive just like he did not forgive King David for his secret devious sin which dishonored His great name. God’s word records:
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 'I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 'Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.
'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 'For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.' " 2 Samuel 12:7-12
At least David had the wisdom when he was exposed not to deny his sin but to face up to it, confess it and accept his consequences. For God’s word is true:
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:5-10
Mind you there are foolish prominent leaders in America who when their secret sins were exposed refused to acknowledge them and to accept their consequences. As a result these deceived ones in whom the truth was not in them did not prosper and their consequences were quite severe. For God still rules and reigns in the Kingdom of men and His word is true:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?"
At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. Daniel 4:34-37
Those who walk in pride God is able to put down. However! King David’s consequences were also not pleasant ones. The sword never departed from his house God raised up adversity against him from his own household. David did things secretly but God did things openly. The Lord was really upset for David’s stupid sin for it was not only the sin of adultery but of lack of faith and trust in God, the source of David’s total supply. The Lord who anointed David king over Israel, delivered him from the hand of Saul, gave him his master's house and his master's wives into his keeping, gave him the house of Israel and Judah would have also have given David much more if that had been too little!
The Lord gets very upset when His people lean to their own understanding and wisdom and put their trust in others and not in Him. His word is true to such as these:
"Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
Therefore the strength of Pharaoh Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt Shall be your humiliation. For his princes were at Zoan, And his ambassadors came to Hanes. They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, Or be help or benefit, But a shame and also a reproach." Isaiah 30:1-5
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD! Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity.
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together. Isaiah 31:1-3
So David and the others of our day in reality had committed two evils in their sin. They had forsaken God the fountain of living waters and the source of their total supply and hewn themselves cisterns and broken cisterns which do not hold water and do not give a solution to their problems. Men even this day do not change. They left their first love and wonder why God is upset at them. But His word is true to such as these:
"To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ' These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; "and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent. "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." ' Revelation 2:1-7
Chapter 18
God Who Raises The Dead
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Christianity is unique in that it’s a miracle religion founded on miracles including the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! The bible tells us in Acts 4:33 about the first Christians And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:3-4). It’s because of what God did for Jesus after men and demons did their worst to him we can have comfort and hope in our trials and testing because we have on our side the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Christianity is not a dead religion composed of some ideas and theology but a living relationship with a miracle working God who loves to give His trusting children miracles even on a daily basis – miracles of healing, miracles of deliverance, miracles of financial blessings, miracles of divine intervention and so on. God’s word is unchanging:
For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:22-25
Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," and A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 1 Peter 2:6-8
For His trusting ones Jesus Christ is their Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Redeemer, Rock, Refuge, Strong Tower and everything they need. And as a result they will by no means be put to shame. But for those who are disobedient, He is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. Instead of comfort the rebels find woe and distress for the face of the LORD is against those who do evil. However for the righteous, the eyes of the LORD are on them, and His ears are open to their prayers. God’s word is unchanging:
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)- then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. 2 Peter 2:1-11
It’s is a fact that some of the greatest corruption and perversion today is found in the house of God amongst Christians, not pagans. Not only do we have pedophiles who are priests or pastors, but we have rapists and thieves who masquerade as men of God. We find that many Christian evangelists and other ministers did not care for individuals but rather for the building up of their own empire. They are more interested in selling their products to their sheep then ministering to the sheep. The establishments of such ministers have become corrupt these days because the Babylonian system has pervaded their establishments. They have become money changers who create idol worshipers. The ministry of the Holy Ghost is perfect but the establishments through which they perform their ministries have become corrupt.
Many churches and ministries have become money making business establishments whose pastors and evangelists use flattering words, and have a cloak of covetousness to seek their own best interest, not the best interest of the sheep. Their desire is to fleece the sheep, not to bless the sheep. They covet offerings from the sheep they are supposed to serve and tend for. Evangelists expect offerings of those people that have been blessed by their ministries. They make elaborate advertisements for their products and spend little time ministering effectively to the sheep. The pastors are mostly concerned about filling their own coffers than those of the sheep.
Many ministers give long sermons to their congregations and lead them in long worship services on Sundays. According to these ministers, ministry means giving messages, conducting worship services, extracting tithes and offerings, and praying for the sick in their churches. They forgot that ministry means taking care of the sheep, ministering to the poor saints and widows and edifying the faith of the weak sheep during their trials and tribulations.
We have many preachers who are devoid of power preach the gospel in flowery languages and exhibit their oratory but not in the power of God. Oratory takes the place of the power of God. Gospel is preached from the church pulpits as a matter of routine, at times, mostly from texts already prepared. In the churches of today, the glory of men rules the roost. Men with good family background or rich men are honored when commonplace people are shown the backseats. The churches do not call "poor saints" or evangelists with poor financial background for giving messages but prefer only "renowned" ones.
These days, we find the ministers of God covet "service" from the people whom they are supposed to serve. They boast that they had resigned from their secular jobs to serve God but expect offerings from the people whom they serve. They do not work with their own hands even in their own offices established by them for running their ministries. They want "service" from the staff working in their offices. Recently, a T.V. Evangelist USA preached a message of "prosperity" to his sheep. He quoted Jesus' words in Luke 4:18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor...". This preacher replaced the word "gospel" with the word "prosperity" and preached that prosperity should be preached to the poor so that the poor may become rich. And then we have Evangelists who mainly preach on healing and miracles and not on cross-bearing and discipleship. The apostles during the New Testament period preached the gospel to the people with the result that the sick and the demon-possessed were delivered. They did not focus on healing and miracle ministries. But, miracles and signs followed them. They did not follow miracles and signs. God’s word is unchanging:
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:20-22
Chapter 19
There Is One Lord; One God
Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works. Psalm 73:25-28
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:1-6
It’s true that many men want to be lords over us and to be a god unto us but for a true Christian and believer there is only one Lord and God – Jesus Christ. The others may say and do whatever they want but they are not the LORD who is the Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Defender, Redeemer, Miracle Worker, and everything that we need. And yes God demonstrates His Lordship and Godship by His actions, not just words. His word is unchanging:
"Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 'I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 'And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.' " Exodus 6:6-8
… "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." Exodus 15:26
"I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. "And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. Exodus 20:45-46
'Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:31
I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright. Leviticus 26:11-13
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God." Numbers 15:41
I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King." Isaiah 43:15
For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting. That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.' Isaiah 45:4-7
True Christians are not in bondage to any man or demon but serve only the LORD their God! They are called by Christ’s name because they belong only to Him and serve only Him. He is their Shield, their Strength, their Reward, and everything that they need and no other! He is their Victory, their Redeemer, their, the LORD their God, Who teaches them to profit, Who leads them by the way they should go (Isaiah 48:17). He is the LORD, Who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth (Jeremiah 9:24). He is the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Him? (Jeremiah 32:27). The slain shall fall in their midst, and they shall know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7). He is the Lord who brings real calamity and desolation upon men and repays them for their evil deeds and wrong choices (Ezekiel 6:10,14,7:14). He is the LORD who judges men and disperses them and brings upon them the sword, famine, and pestilence (Ezekiel 11:2,12:15-16). He is the LORD Whose hand is against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies (Ezekiel 13:9). He is the LORD who exposes their lies and takes the veils off His people and delivers them out of the false ones (Ezekiel 13:21). Yes, He is the LORD who executes judgment and great vengeance on them with furious rebukes and cuts off all the enemies of His people (Ezekiel 25:7,11,17). His word is unchanging:
Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, Then they shall know that I am the LORD." Ezekiel 30:19
"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ' These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. "And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. "Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. "I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelation 2:18-23
Now the good news is that the same LORD who executes judgments and brings curses upon the wicked also executes judgments and bring blessing upon His trusting ones. His word is unchanging:
"I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. "Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. "And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. "I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. "Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people," says the Lord GOD.' " Ezekiel 34:26-30
'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. "But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. "For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. "I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. "I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 36:7-11
"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name- 'after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. 'When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 'then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. 'And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord GOD." Ezekiel 39:25-29
Chapter 20
And You Are All Brethren
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. "They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, "greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 23:10 "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. Matthew 23:1-10
The word of God is very clear that not only are we all brethren but we have only one Teacher, the Christ. We are to be daily led and taught by the Holy Spirit and no other. The present day idea of a pastor, a benevolent dictator, sole leader, is not only against the teachings and words of Jesus but it’s a just a clone of the concept of a priest in the Catholic institution.
For the record, in the gospels where Jesus Christ, our role model and our life, in His ministry He didn't submit to any authority but rather cursed them with "Woe to you!" Woe to you doesn't mean something good is going to happen to you?
And the twelve apostles of Jesus didn't submit to anyone but Peter and the other apostles said: "We ought to obey God rather than men." Submission to men in leadership rather than God is nonexistent in the New Testament but is established in many religious institutions through the first major Christian institution the Catholic Church. See the article The Pastor: Where Did He Come From? by Frank Viola
Many pastors and evangelists in America live and behave like kings of their own kingdoms, rather than like servants of the living God, as they should be. Humility and submission are words they must reintroduce into their own vocabulary and lives before they teach others. Contrary to many pastors’ and evangelists’ point of view, we as Christians don’t exist primarily to serve them or to give them money but to serve the King of kings and Lord or lords. In our Heavenly Father’s eyes, we are all equally important. He has no favorites and is definitely not a respecter of persons and shows partiality to no one-although, some pastors and evangelists would like us to believe otherwise.
How many times have believers been subjected to mishandled scripture with an implicit or explicit "touch not God's anointed" if any dared to question? This is in contrast to the Biblical admonition to "try the spirits", (1 John 4:1). Fear is not of God and teaching which incorporates psychological intimidation is corrupt and deceptive. One of the easiest ways to determine what "spirit" motivates a person "in authority" is to question them. A godly man or woman will never be offended or become indignant if someone dares to question them and compare what is said with the Word of God. However, if one is motivated by an "authoritarian" spirit of conceit or arrogance, the questioner will soon know it. Peter warned the elders (pastors and spiritual guides of the church) not to be domineering [arrogant, dictatorial, overbearing] over the flock of God, but to be patterns and models of Christian living (I Pet. 5:3, AMPL.)
Many prominent pastors and evangelists today make the claim that because "souls" are being saved and "healings" take place in their meetings, that this somehow validates their ministry. While these things may be well and good, they are no indication of "divine" sanction. A.A. Allen was a drunkard, Jimmy Swaggart a whoremonger, Jim Bakker a thief, Larry Lea a prevaricator, and Robert Tilton a charlatan - yet ALL of these saw thousands saved and miracles take place in their meetings. Because one is blessed with "prosperity" and has a "following" of thousands, doesn't mean a darn thing when it comes to integrity and godly sanction, for "he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust," (Matt. 5:45).
Frank Viola wrote about the Lord Jesus Christ and Authority http://www.ptmin.org/authority.htm :
Jesus Christ came into the earth at a time when the Romans were in power. Now the Romans had a certain kind of leadership that marked their society. They got this leadership model from the Babylonians and the Egyptians. But the Romans brought it to perfection. It was the hierarchical leadership structure. In my country, our military is patterned after this structure. The Romans were great warriors, so it worked well for them.
Do you understand hierarchy? You have someone at the top, then you have someone under them, then you have someone at the very bottom. The one at the top has more authority than the one below him. The person lower has less authority than the one above, and on it goes. It is a descending order of authority. It’s top-down authority. It is a command-style relationship.
The Romans perfected this structure. It was part of their culture. With that in mind, listen to the words of Jesus Christ. Matthew 20:25: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great men exercise authority over them."
According to Jesus, the Gentiles exercise authority from the top-down. They are lording it over the people. They are dominating the people. They are controlling the people. This always happens with hierarchical structures of descending authority. It creates a culture of control and oppression.
But our Lord says, "It shall not be so among you!" Jesus Christ, when He came into this earth, was the most liberated Person to walk the planet. His main job was to set people free. He is the Great Liberator. In His day, He set women free. The women followed Him wherever He was. And when He died on the cross, it was the women who were there, staying with Him. When He rose again from the dead, it was the women who came to Him first. Jesus Christ had a very exalted view of His followers. He had a very exalted view of women in a day when they were oppressed and suppressed. He was a liberator. This is very important, brothers. There is something in your Lord that is liberating, that comes to set people free.
Jesus says, "Whoever wishes to be great among you of my disciples, he shall be your servant." I’m going to make a very important statement at this point that we will come back to. The mark of a servant of God is that he comes to set people free. Not to lord over them. Not to control them. But to set them free. One of the major things that I do in planting a church is to set people free. And that is the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Now let us go to Matthew 28.
Jesus Christ is getting ready to ascend. These are some of His last words. You are familiar with them. Matthew 28:18: "All authority is given to me in heaven and on earth. All authority is mine."
Now, brothers, there is no authority except the authority of Jesus Christ! Only He has authority. There is no authority except His authority. This is important.
And the bible tells us:
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 1 John 2:27
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16
Yes, the New Testament clearly tells us that we are all brethren and kings and priests and have only one King Jesus Christ. Yes, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers exist for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and for no other reason. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers don’t exist to built their own kingdom but to build up the sheep and as a result the kingdom of God.
Each joint is dependent on the whole body and no part of the body is superior to another part including any leadership be it pastors. If we have come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ we will be like Jesus Christ who was led by the Spirit and led everybody and Himself was led by no one.
Have you ever seen an apostle or prophet submit to anyone? There is no such thing for Apostles and prophets pull rank over evangelists, pastors and teachers. The problem with the idea of pastors is that is not biblical nor is there any such animal in the bible. It's based on mainly the kingship idea, including King Saul ruling over people, which God originally didn't want to happen. We have no king over us but Jesus Christ who made us kings and priests.
Amazing the stupid idea of pastors is pushed by pastors who don't believe themselves in submission to apostles and prophets who have not ceased because the bible clearly tells us that in the church today:
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28
How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 1 Corinthians 14:26
Equality, love and individuality among the Brethren is what the bible teaches and propounds, not kingship by individual fools like king Saul which is strictly an Old Testament idea! Hence the whole idea of one man kingship or leadership in our churches which has caused many problems to the sheep is shear bunk!
But many people cannot accept the notion of having someone who is invisible to be their leader so they give their spiritual leadership to a man they can see and call him a pastor just like the children of Israel did when they asked for a king to judge them like all nations. The bible records:
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 1 Samuel 8-7
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5
Equality amongst the brethren, love, humility, and servant hood is the principle of the New Testament and not Lordship by self appointed arrogant and proud ones who have made themselves rulers over God’s people. For the record the New Testament teaches and talks about elders, shepherds and overseer and not about kings and benevolent dictators or Lords or pastors. That is why the bible clearly states about fellow elders and brethren and not superior kings or priests or pastors:
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 1 Peter 5:1-4
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. 3 John 1:9-11
Jesus Christ made us all into kings and priests and as a equal king and priest no one can Lord anything over us except Jesus Christ and the wonderful Holy Spirit. That is why He said "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren (Matthew 23:8). Apostle John, Jesus favorite friend and Apostle, warned us of those who love to have the preeminence among men and don’t receive the brethren and put them out of the church like many pastors.
Pastors should get off their high horse and self appointed positions and become like Jesus and demonstrate the miracles, signs and wonders that Jesus did. God’s word is unchanging:
"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. John 14:12
The truest measure of a person’s success is their level of intimacy with God and his love for justice, truth and righteousness and not with their pastor. There is a prophetic plea for pastors to abandon authoritarian abuse and oppressive leadership structures. It’s time to set many Christians free from the tyranny of dictatorial leaders who overlord God’s flock. If Christians would open their eyes and read the bible for what it says it says in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power and not in others especially foolish sick blind and dumb pastors who ignore the word of God that clearly tells them:
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? "You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. "So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. "My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them." 'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: "as I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock"- 'therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD! 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them." 'For thus says the Lord GOD: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. "As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. "And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. "I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. "I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down," says the Lord GOD. "I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment." Ezekiel 34:1-16
“Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he knows and understands me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24
Chapter 21
The Spirit of the LORD
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:1-5
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
The Word of God tells us in Isaiah 11:1-5 that Jesus was totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, direct, help and anoint Him, as well as to do the miracles. The power of the Lord was present to heal all (Luke 4:18 , 5:17 ). Everyone who came to Jesus was healed by Him! He had a perfect track record in the area of healing. He unlike others never made an excuse why some were not healed. He didn’t collect the names of people who were healed to show them off or to build a mass mailing list, or see and use them as usable commodities as some Christian ministries do? Jesus’ anointing was unlimited or without measure for the purposes of healing and delivering all that came to Him. And we can all have the same anointing for all that belong to Jesus belongs to the Father, and what belong to the Father belongs to Jesus and what belongs to Jesus belongs to us (John 16; 14-15)? And this includes Paul, Apollos and others. God’s word is unchanging:
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.(1 Corinthians 3:5-15)
It’s to be noted that ministry is not to facilitate the vision of the house and its evangelist or pastor. Ministry is not to get rich off the sheep. Ministry is not to pursue a secret hidden agenda for prominence, fortune and fame like Judas who betrayed Jesus for his greed (Matthew 26:24, Luke 6; 16, Luke 22:3). Yes Judas healed the sick, cast out devils and fellowshipped with Jesus and also stole money from the treasurer and was a betrayer and traitor! Unlike others even of our day, Jesus did not just teach or preach but He did real works such as cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, cause cripples to walk, and rebuked religious Pharisees who didn’t do such things! What Jesus lacked in any area of His life He made up for it by the power of the anointing. Prayer, knowledge of the Word of God and the anointing were the only things Jesus needed to minister to the poor, hurting and needy people. And He did a very successful job! Mind you the bible doesn’t tell us that in Jesus’ meetings were seen the weird manifestations in so called revivals today, including laughter, weeping, falling, shaking, jerking and roaring! A.L. Gill in his article "A Call for the Discerning of Spirits in This End-Time Revival” states:
However, just because these manifestations occurred in past revivals does not necessarily mean that they were, or are from God. Often when the anointing of God becomes the strongest, demons begin to manifest. Isaiah wrote, “The anointing breaks the yoke ...”
In India, where people worship serpents, I have witnessed demons manifesting like serpents. In the name of Jesus, I have commanded the manifestations to stop, and the person has lain there as if unconscious until the end of the preaching. Then I could minister deliverance without distracting from the preaching or from the ministry that followed.
In other parts of Asia where people eat live monkey brains, I have seen demons manifesting like monkeys in the overwhelming presence of God.
In our meetings, when we can have teams trained ahead of time, if a demon starts to manifest and distract during the teaching, I have moved the people's attention to the opposite side of the assembly. Then the workers could quickly move the person to a separate location to minister deliverance. This keeps demons from distracting the people away from what the Spirit of God is doing.
I understand that it's now a common practice in large meetings in Argentina and other South American nations where great revival is being experienced, for trained ushers to remove people who are having demonic manifestations from the main tent. They are taken into another tent where trained teams minister deliverance.
There are times when I have witnessed overt manifestations that I knew by the discerning of spirits were not from God. However, I knew also they were not demonic. They were simply an uncontrolled emotional response from that person’s soul or flesh.
…Part of the problem is that many are following the manifestations instead of discerning the moves of God. To discern if a move is truly of the Spirit, we must know it through the Spirit – not through our mental reasoning powers. We can know what is of the Holy Spirit, or from the human flesh, or from an evil spirit, by the operation of the revelation gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the discerning of spirits is probably the most needed but neglected of the nine supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus warned that in these last days “even the elect would be deceived if that were possible.” Why is it not possible? – because of the gift of discerning of spirits.
We need to understand once more what the discerning of spirits is. Often we hear it called the gift of discernment. It’s not that. The New International Bible refers to this gift as distinguishing between spirits, and this is a more accurate definition.
Discernment is an operation of human wisdom in the area of the mind. It comes through the reasoning power of the mind. An unbeliever or a carnal Christian can operate in discernment.
The gift of the discerning of, or distinguishing between spirits, is a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit by which we receive supernatural revelation from the Holy Spirit directly into our spirits. It is a “knowing” that comes into our spirits by which we discern the nature of any spirit being manifested.
By its operation, we can discern the presence, nature and function of God, His angels, evil spirits or a human spirit. We can supernaturally know what is of God, what is of the flesh, or of the satanic kingdom. We will not be judging the action but knowing the spirit causing the action.
In this present renewal or revival, leaders must know each manifestation by the Spirit. Then they must operate in the gift of the discerning of spirits. They must operate in the gift of supernatural wisdom to know what to do when the manifestation is from the flesh or demonic in origin.
Chapter 22
God Hates Divorce
"For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously." Malachi 2:16
Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 1 Corinthians 7:10-14
God Who is a God of peace, health and prosperity, hates divorce for many reasons including the real damages and hurts it causes to many people and that it denies His Lordship and Miracle working power to fix and change all things. God’s word is unchanging:
"Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." Genesis 18:14
'Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. Jeremiah 32:17
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? Jeremiah 32:27
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. John 5:5-9
God is and always will be God, a great and wonderful Miracle Worker, and the Healer. He stands ready to save, heal, deliver and make whole anybody and everybody who calls upon His name. Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, immediately healed the man who had an infirmity thirty-eight years after he answered Jesus’ question "Do you want to be made well?" with a yes!
The problem with seeing healing and miracles in the current time of life in our lives is never on God’s side but on man’s. Jesus later told this instantly healed man, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you" (John 5:14). In this particular case the sickness was a result of sin and the man would have to change his ways lest a worse thing come upon him. He had to take responsibility for his actions or the lack there of.
It’s a fact that some people love being sick because they receive attention and care and they don’t have to be responsible any more to do things like work. Being sick is an easy way to escape things they don’t like. While they say they want to be healed in reality they do not! And that is why the question "Do you want to be made well?" is very important be answered truthful by each individual for God’s word is unchanging:
…"If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." Exodus 15:26
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Psalm 103:3
But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this," Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:2-3
God has given men a free will and freedom to have the desires of their hearts including being sick even though He has made provision for their total and complete healing and deliverance. And some of His people do choose sickness over health and others become sick because they have disobeyed God’s word. His word is true:
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ' These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. "And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. "Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. "I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelations 2:18-23
Yes, the word of God teaches that unrepentant sins brings sickness and even death, even though God’s word tells us that by Jesus stripes we were healed (1 Peter 2:24 ). Besides faith in God repentance is a very useful thing in receiving healing from God. God’s word is unchanging:
"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:14-15
Yes, the LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. God doesn’t have a problem in making His people rich and prosperous. Jesus Christ suffered on the cross intense pain and shame to set us free from sickness and poverty. By His stripes we were healed in every sense of the word. Jesus was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) including sickness and poverty. He is still the great Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Provider and Miracle Worker. It’s Satan, our arch enemy, who wants God’s people to suffer spiritual, physical and financial insufficiency and be sick and weak for he is a thief, a murderer and a destroyer (John 10:10). God’s word is unchanging:
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."
The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. Luke 13:10-17
Yes, the devil kept this woman sick for eighteen years and Jesus delivered her from her bondage. And because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever He can and will deliver any one from any bondage. There are many forms of bondage besides sickness. A person could be physically well but be bondage in his finances. But God who owns the cattle on the thousand hills and all the silver and gold will deliver him from his or her bondage (Isaiah 51:1-3, 61:1-5). The lack of money is a great bondage but Jesus delivers from all forms of bondage.
Contrary to what some people believe money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil! Money is just a means of payment. It’s is neutral. What a person does with money makes it either good or evil. What is important is does a person possess money or does money possess the person?
Now the devil wants God’s people to be blind and ignorant about God’s desires for them to be healthy and wealthy and powerful. The devil is not stupid and he knows that whatever part of the Word of God is rejected by God’s people it will not become a reality in their lives. So he causes many religious folks to believe that sickness and poverty are the will of God and that prosperity and wealth and prosperity are from the devil. But all this is nothing but a lie from the father of all lies – the devil.
Poverty is like an infectious disease. It is like a virus Satan brings upon the Body of Christ. He has infected many individuals, families and whole churches with the "poverty virus". As a result for them poverty and sickness have literally become a way of life.
But the truth of the matter is that Jesus had died on the cross to give us 100% victory over all things including setting us free from sickness and disease and poverty. He doesn't want us to be even 1% sick or poor. He gave His blood for us. He purchased us. We are His own and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to us- all of it! That is the reason why Jesus wants us to live a 100% healthy life. Every sickness in our life and poverty is defeated by the blood of Jesus. Jesus gave His blood -- He died naked on the cross -- to set us free from sickness or poverty. Every financial lack in our life is defeated by the blood of Jesus. He wants us to live 100% wealthy and healthy lives. and All we have to do is to receive and confess God's Word concerning our health, healing, blessings and prosperity and to act according to it. God’s word is unchanging:
"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18
The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. Psalm 118:15-16
"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! Matthew 7:11
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17
Chapter 23
The Prayer that God Answers
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D. | |
 | |
Most of the questions we ask concerning life will not be clearly defined in God's Word. For example, there is not a Scripture advising one to marry a certain person on a certain date. However, there are guidelines about marriage and other life events that are perfectly outlined in God's Word. It is up to us to take the time to pray and ask God to reveal them to us.
THE QUEST FOR ANSWERS
Prayer not only helps us discover the will of God for our lives, it also deepens our relationship with the Savior. Through prayer, we discover the depths of God's mercy and love for us. It is also where we confess our sin and receive His forgiveness.
Prayer is an opportunity for us to communicate with the Lord of heaven and earth. In prayer, we ask God to do what only He can do. Jesus gave us a pattern to follow in prayer when He prayed what we now know as the Lord's Prayer — recorded in Matthew 6.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth
As it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth
As it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
Some who read these words have never thought about the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for their lives and that plan is one of hope and future opportunity (Jeremiah 29:11). Prayer provides the right opportunity for God's promises to be embedded in our hearts and minds. And if we trust the Lord for our future, He will provide the strength we need to face life's challenges victoriously.
Joseph spent years confined to an Egyptian dungeon. While he had done nothing to deserve imprisonment, God knew that Joseph's faith needed to be tested. The fulfillment of God's promises would come, but first he had to walk hand-in-hand with the Lord through faith and prayer. Joseph did not avoid personal surrender. He knew that if he did, he would risk missing God's will and purpose for his life.
LEARN TO SUBMIT YOUR WILL TO GOD
If God has allowed you to settle in a difficult place — pray. But don't just pray for a way of escape. Instead, pray for the Lord to work His good pleasure into your life. If there is a need for discipline, be willing to receive it so that you will experience the blessings of God.
Trying to manipulate the Lord's will through prayer never works. Instead of solving the problem, this can lead to frustration. Therefore, we need to be willing to trust God and wait for His answer.
HE HAS A GREATER PLAN
There will be times when we think we cannot face another trial or another minute of persecution. Jesus understands our weaknesses. The night of His arrest He prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done" (Matthew 26:42). Earlier, He had taught His disciples to pray, "Thy will be done," so they would know how to submit their wills to God just as He had submitted His.
God knows the hurts, the disappointments, and the frustrations you are facing, but He longs to hear you pray what Christ prayed in the garden the night of His arrest, "Not my will, Father, but yours." Is this the prayer of your heart?
Can you pray "Lord, it seems that my entire life is turning out differently than what I thought it would. I am frustrated and angry. However, I want to surrender my life to You. Please change the focus of my heart so that it is set on You and not on my selfish desires. Heal the brokenness within my heart and make my deepest prayer to be, 'Not my will, but Your will be done in my life.'"
If you truly want to know the will of God, begin with prayer. If you want to experience a sense of peace and joy that goes beyond anything this world has to offer, take time to pray. Through prayer, you will not only gain wisdom to make the right choice, you will deepen your relationship with the Savior — the greatest gift of all.
----
Chapter 24
Who Trains My Hands For War
Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle- My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. Psalm 144:1-2
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:32-34
There are amongst us many mystical pacifist Christians who believe in a feminist Jesus who is not a “Man of War” but loves and forgives everybody even if they don’t repent and rebukes nobody! They conveniently the word of God which states:
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Ephesians 5:1-13
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' " Revelation 3:19-22
The word of God is clear we are to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them including people like Rodney Howard Browne who taught “It was the pastors job to fleece the sheep” http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/rodney.htm
South African Pentecostal Evangelist Rodney Howard-Browne, a white supremacist in theology, who immigrated with all his brothers and parents to United States became a naturalized American and taught that “sheep needed to be fleeced or they would have too much hair and could not see where they are going.. It was the pastor’s job to fleece the sheep had been credited with bringing the laughter revival to America. But from what really happened in Carpenter’s Home Church in 1993 and 1994 and its devastating effect on the community including the robbing, raping and murdering of the sheep, was not much of a revival.
Roy Aldrich, a retired school teacher, was robbed of $100,000.00 by Pastor Karl Strader and his son Dan Strader of Carpenter’s Home Church Lakeland, Florida. Rodney, who was a personal friend of Karl Strader who practiced nepotism, and bought him a Lincoln town car, was asked to help the elderly victims who were robbed by the Straders and he refused. But when German Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke’s decided to relocate his ministry to Florida, Rodney Howard-Browne decided he would give Bonnke a house. At first he offered Bonnke his own house in Tampa, but Bonnke had to locate in Orlando to be closer to his operational base. It was then that Howard-Browne decided to build Bonnke a new $250,000 home in Orlando. Rodney then drove a brand new car to Bonnke’s driveway.
…The fact remains that multi-million dollars Family run Evangelistic Ministries in America be it the Hinn’s of Orlando, the Straders of Lakeland, the Howard-Browne’s of Tampa, the Falwells of Lynchburg, the Brights of Orlando, the Robertson’s of Norkfolk, the Roberts of Tulsa, the Copelands of Forth Worth, and the Graham’s of Minneapolis are notorious for hiding their total salaries and those of their family members and special friends in their indirect personally owned non- profit religious corporation while they live in palatial palaces like kings and royalty.
Just like with the Bakker’s of PTL Club fame personal misconduct, mismanagement, and pillaging of the treasury and misuse of Ministry resources are quite common. Benny Hinn had to flee from Orlando Florida, when the media started to dig into the different scandals in his ministry. The Straders of Lakeland, personal friends of the Jim Bakker, Benny Hinn, Oral and Richard Roberts and Rodney Howard-Browne, went through a major split of Carpenter’s Home Church in 1989 when the Straders refused to relinquish the financial control they had on the ministry, the church and its assets. (See also Bi- Sexual Felon Or Hero – Jim Bakker? http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/bakker.htm, Benny Hinn –Healer or Huckster? http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/hinn.htm )
Yes, Rodney Howard Browne is a scoundrel who built a so called ministry based on nepotism and put all his family on the payroll! And Rodney gave many people the Kundalini demon including John Arnott of TACF and others! See http://www.newchristian.org.uk/kundalini.html
Is it any coincidence that the manifestations associated with these demonic `Kundalini’ cults are almost identical to those of Toronto? Could it be that the same `spirits’ are at work?
The jerking in Toronto, Brownsville or any other revival place is not a sign of the Holy Spirit but of a Kundalini demon which infiltrated Christianity mainly in North America through Rodney Howard Browne!
The fact is the bible never talks about “jerking” being an attribute of the Holy Spirit but rather it states but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
THE KEY WORD HERE IS SELF-CONTROL AND WHEN YOU ARE POSSESSED BY A DEMONIC KUNDALINI SPIRIT THERE IS NO CONTROL AND THAT IS TOTALLY WRONG AND AGAINST SCRIPTURE
And anybody who has gotten involved with these Third Wave deceivers will testify that longsuffering and kindness are not demonstrated by the leaders or followers but rather arrogance, pride and intolerance and Bill Johnson is a classical example! Miriam on her blog stated perfectly about Bill Johnson
“Whitewashing is ungodly and is what Jesus blasted the pharisees for. It is bizarre that Johnson and Joyner would blast their critics for being “pharisees” when it is actually they themselves that manifest true ‘pharisee-ical’ tendancies – elitism, spiritual abuse, whitewashing and pretence, lies, hypocrisy and dual standards – behaviour not found in the main people who warn about them.” http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/endtimespropheticwords/2c5bfbe1486dec3eec6b0511602b4a79
But God’s word is unchanging:
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, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32
“When are we going to stop promoting gifting over character… I have a feeling we are going to have to go around the mountain a few more times… using someones fallen state and restoration to raise offerings and sell product is just craziness. Sorry folks…
- PS. Since when did upholding truth, righteousness and accountability become legalism????? I am truly dumbfounded. Matt Sorger April 22 2009
Integrity and character means nothing today amongst most Christians and it’s evidenced by their deeds including lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, fornication, perjury, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, malice and evil speaking. They think of nothing of grieving the Holy Spirit or the fact that He has left them long time ago and that is why they are demonstrating the works of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit! They are being influenced by evil and unholy spirits and not by God’s spirit. And the bible says of them:
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32
Chapter 25
Do Righteousness And Justice
"For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him." Genesis 18:19
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin. The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Getting treasures by a lying tongue Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death. The violence of the wicked will destroy them, Because they refuse to do justice. Proverbs 21:2-7
When did you ever hear a sermon that “Abraham was blessed by God because he commanded his children and his household after him to do righteousness and justice?” Probably never! And of course if you are a prosperity preacher you would never talk about this! Their solution to all of life’s problems is in giving money and confessing certain scriptures? And how come evangelicals never talk that to do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice or the violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do justice?
Yes, that is the problem of people being narrow minded and choosing only the parts of the bible that they like and as a result they miss the whole will of God including His love for justice. God’s word is unchanging:
"You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. "You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute. Exodus 23:1-3
"He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:18
"You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:19
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. Deuteronomy 32:4
"For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. Isaiah 61:8
All of God’s ways are justice! He is a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. He loves justice! He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice (Job 37:23).So should not those who say they are Christians and have God living in them love justice, be without injustice, and do righteousness and justice? Yet the word “justice” is missing in the vocabulary and lives of many Christians even though God’s word states:
'Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!' Deuteronomy 27:19
Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 1 Samuel 8:1-3
The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. Psalm 25:9
He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. Psalm 33:5
So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 2 Samuel 8:15
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:22-27
God has made each ones to be kings and priests and part of this responsibility means to administer judgment and justice to all his people. But how can you do this if you are taught “Judge not” , “be not entangled with the affairs of this life” or “God didn’t call me to this responsibility?”
Wise king Solomon asked of God for understanding to discern justice and God gave him a wise and understanding heart, and He had also given Solomon what he had not asked: both riches and honor. The bible records for our profit and instruction:
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. 1 Kings 3:28
"Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness." 1 Kings 10:9
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. Psalm 37:30
Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Psalm 82:3
Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times! Psalm 106:3
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne (Psalm 97:2) and so should they be the foundation of every Christian. We are instructed to receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity (Proverbs 1:3)! For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path (Proverbs 2:6-9). Yes, better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice (Proverbs 16:8). God’s word is unchanging:
It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. Proverbs 21:15
Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all. Proverbs 28:5
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 1:17-20
Chapter 26
Victory Not Defeat
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:13-15
My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord-that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:10-11
Jesus Christ is the Victor who overcame the world and He has promised victory, not defeat, for His trusting ones. Victory over everything that has come against them or assails them just like He did for Job! And what did God do for Job? He intervened in His negative circumstances and turned everything around!
Job 42 tells us the LORD restored Job's losses and gave Him twice as much as he had before. He blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And after this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days.
Now we are not talking about the “pie in the sky” but about here and now and God’s great and mighty miracle working power to change all things be it physical sickness, financial poverty or debt, loss of property, bareness, loneliness, physical or spiritual enemies, addictions, marriage or family problems or whatever we are facing!
Jesus Christ who has overcome the world is bigger and greater than any suffering or problem that we face or mountain that stands in our way! And prayer is the first step on the roads to seeing and having miracles from God that will heal and change things. God’s word is unchanging:
"For with God nothing will be impossible." Luke 1:37
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:13-18
God is always for, with and never against His true ones. He the God of all power is on their side no matter what storm, waters or fire they are going through or what mountain they have to move. He is on their side and will be do and give everything for them as they trust in Him and use His name - the name which is above every name and which stills the storms and casts out demons. We have a good example of all this in the life of faithful and praying Daniel. Daniel discerned the word of the LORD spoken through prophet Jeremiah that the seventy years of desolation’s of Jerusalem would come to an end. He set His face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes and to confess that they had sinned and committed iniquity.
Daniel acknowledged that all the disaster has come upon them because the LORD their God is righteous in all the works which He does, though His people had not obeyed His voice. He prayed that God would turn His anger and fury away from His Jerusalem, because of their sins, and for the iniquities of their fathers. Daniel stated:
"Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. "O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; Daniel 9:17-23
The moment Daniel started to pray God sent angel Gabriel to tell him that his prayers were answered and to give him understanding about what God was going to do with Jerusalem. When Daniel prayed, just like when God’s true ones pray God hears and answers their prayers, but demons and principalities try to stop and delay the answers. So God sent His angel to Daniel who said to him:
"Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come." Daniel 10:12-14
God true ones do not have to fight with God for He is on their side. But they do have to contend with principalities, power and rulers of darkness of this age and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. For God’s word is true:
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:11-13
No matter how long the fight and how great the battle against forces of darkness victory is guaranteed and is assured. Because of what Jesus Christ had done on Calvary and the victories He had won there. For the words of Jesus are true:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
It is the Lord who is the great and might one in this universe and no other. His word is true:
"The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed." 1 Samuel 2:6-10
The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s and He will guard the feet of His saints. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces for by strength shall no man prevail. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth and exalt the horn of His anointed even this day. As a result He will honor His word to His true ones:
"Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. "And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you.
"You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. "And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.
"And you shall destroy all the peoples whom the LORD your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you. Deuteronomy 7:12-16
Chapter 27
But When You Give A Feast?
Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" And they could not answer Him regarding these things. "
…Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. Luke 14:1-3
I know of quite a few major Christian ministries who only pray for those who are in covenant with the ministry; for those who give money to the ministry. But Jesus never tied prayer or doing things for the poor the maimed, the lame, the blind to anything that had to do with money! The carnal nature of man allows him to justify or rationalize anything that he wants and even believe that God would approve it. Imagine if a Christian sold lottery tickets for a dinner or supper that was being done for the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind all in the name of the One who would never approve of such a thing. As a matter of fact Jesus clearly told us that those who failed to meet a very stringent condition would lose their reward. God’s word is true:
"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, "that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Matthew 6:1-4
Now pastor and preachers love to tell you to sow money into their ministries with a false promise that you will get a one hundred fold return on your giving. But I have never met anybody who sowed money into a minsitry and received a hundred fold return of money even though quite a few prominent evangelists assure that God does these kind of things? However there is something that when you sow lots of God has promised to give great rewards? Tears! God’s word is unchanging:
Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6
"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
"So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. "Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:28-35
It’s interesting that Paul warned everyone night and day with tears that after my departure savage wolves will come in among them, not sparing the flock. And from among themselves men would rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Apostle Paul did commend his disciples to give more money but rather He commended them to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. And Apostle have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. "Rather his own hands had provided for his necessities, and for those who were with him. He showed by example in every way, by laboring like this, that them must support the weak. And they must remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive!’ Wow! What a different attitude and way of doing things compared to most ministries in North America? Sowing in tears and working for a living instead of praying for and preying on the sheep!
The Policy manual of Carpenter’s Home Church, Lakeland, Florida, written by the senior pastor Karl Strader stated:
A congregation must be a planting of the Lord not a secular military base with a benevolent dictator. All Contact with the Public or with employees must reflect the philosophy of the administrator or the Senior Pastor, as he understands the character of Jesus” (Page 15, Summary)
The purpose of the Church is three fold...(2) Ministry to Saints ...No distinction is to be made between the rich and poor, educated or uneducated, mighty or weak. (Page 2 The Carpenter’s Home Church.)
But Jesus unlike Karl Strader understood sheep. He died for them and took care of them. He didn’t abuse them or fire them when he was finished with them or when they didn’t suit His purposes anymore. On the contrary, he did everything He could for them. He went to find them when they were hurt and lost and gave His life for them. Sheep are very important in the Work of the Lord for in reality the Work of the Lord is to take care of the sheep: to find them, to save them, to heal them, to protect them and to keep them. Buildings, leaders, organizations and denominations change and pass away but sheep live on for ever.
Roy Aldrich a sheep who was robbed and raped by the senior pastor and his son Dan Strader wrote to Karl Strader in January 1996 and stated:
Dan is in jail because of your influence and love of money but, be that as it may, you have finally exposed the decadence eating away at the center of your spirit when you preferred your son over the truth and showed no compassion for the people he damaged so badly.
You may remember Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his son if necessary but you have gone about sacrificing any-one who questioned Dan’s lies, a total perversion of such magnitude that Dan, obediently following your lead, has been judged very harshly, not primarily by judge Doyel but by God.
You are the one who should be in that jail.
Since Abraham was willing to put truth and his Lord in preference over his precious son, Jehovah gave his son back. Since you put your son first in willful disregard of the truth and your Lord, you have had Dan taken away. When the Father gave up His precious Son Jesus for death, the example was established that sacrificial love is mandated for people like you, not Mafia-style termination’s.
Roy Aldrich, a retired school teacher, died prematurely at the age 65, as a direct result of the stress and betrayal by his friend and pastor, Karl Strader, and the deeds and actions of his son, Daniel Strader. Roy also wrote the following:
Dan Strader was convicted of stealing our life savings of $ 100,000.00 by using lies and deceit and since your question about the effect on our lives is probably the must important factor to you and the Parole Commission, let me simply repeat the words of Jerry Hill, state attorney of Polk County: "The crimes of Dan Strader have done more damage to more elderly people than any homicide that I have prosecuted "
Dan's thefts have forced us to sell our house and most of our personal possessions and move into a trailer. He has shown absolutely no remorse and Judge Robert Doyel who presided over this case stated: "The first step toward rehabilitation is admission of wrong doing, and therefore I feel that Dan Strader will never be rehabilitated."
What Mr. Strader did was calculated and carefully planned with a willful disregard for the lives of others to such an unbelievable degree of extremity that my wife and I still cannot understand why anyone would try to destroy us in this fashion, especially since we had given faithful service to the Carpenter's Church in Lakeland pastored by Karl Strader, Dan's Father.
The leadership of the Assembly of God denomination both in Lakeland and Missouri would not accept the testimony of Roy Aldrich that he was robbed and raped by money changers and wolves in sheep's clothing in the house of God. But the State of Florida who cared about justice, righteousness and truth accepted the words and testimony of Roy Aldrich about the Strader's.
The State prosecutors proved their case and convinced the jurors that Dan Strader devised an elaborate scheme to attract cash in the real-estate and mortgage investments. He was selling the securities without a license and that the securities were unregistered. This was done in an organized method amounting to Racketeer-Influence and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act.
As a result Daniel Strader, 37, was sentenced to 45 years in prison in August 1995. He was convicted of 238 felony counts for bilking 57 mostly elderly investors, some members of the church, out of $2.3 million by selling investments in properties that didn't exist or already had liens against them.
Roy and Patricia Aldrich of Lakeland, a wonderful couple, were among the elderly who were members of the Assembly of God and Carpenter's Home Church, Lakeland, Florida who were deeply hurt. Roy had written to important and influential people at AG, including District Superintendent Don Lunsford and General Superintendent Thomas Trask, requesting their help concerning Pastor Karl Strader. But they didn't get true justice!
But the evil and wicked deeds of Dan Strader and his 238 counts of theft, fraud and racketeering will continue to haunt Carpenter's Home Church in Lakeland. Although Dan appealed his conviction the 2nd District Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence in 1996. In 1999, Strader began a new appeal, contending he didn't get adequate representation from his lawyer, Jack Edmund of Bartow, during the 1995 trial. Strader alleged that his accomplice Pernice lied in his testimony during the trial at the prompting of prosecutors.
On April 1, 2002 Attorneys for Dan Strader had taken their case to federal court. They filed a motion in the Middle District of Florida in Tampa to have the court review the process of the state proceedings in the trial against Strader. Attorneys had appealed the case to the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Lakeland after Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen turned down their post-conviction relief petition. Jacobsen was not the judge at Strader's trial, but in 2001 he ruled against Strader's request for a new trial. A three-judge panel from the appeal court upheld Jacobsen's ruling without comment in a decision released March 11, 2002. In March 2004, a federal judge denied Strader's request for a writ of habeas corpus -- effectively ending his chance of reducing or overturning his sentence through the courts.
The Lakeland Ledger reported that April was a bittersweet month for Strader. On Easter Sunday, he marked his 35th anniversary as pastor of Carpenter's Home Church. A week earlier, the latest appeal by his convicted son, Daniel, was denied. In the twilight of his career, Karl David Strader is a living alloy of tradition and progress, success and loss.
In one generation, he has seen his Pentecostal tradition grow in numbers and in acceptance. And by most accounts, he has been an innovator, freely associating with faith groups outside Pentecostalism and borrowing ideas from them. He built an empire at Carpenter's Home in North Lakeland that has at times included a 10,000-seat sanctuary, a national TV audience, a private school and a retirement home. But his innovations were not appreciated by everyone, and 11 years ago, strife decimated Carpenter's Home. Today, the cavernous sanctuary is perhaps a quarter full on Sundays, and the TV broadcasts have been cut way back.
Strader bears an even deeper wound. Those who know him say the scandal surrounding his son's arrest and 1995 conviction on fraud charges have affected him more deeply than any other setback. Yet at 72, Strader soldiers on, preaching and laying hands on people who come forward in hopes of a healing touch. He says he will remain as pastor of Carpenter's Home as long as his health is good. He tells his congregation, "I'm past the age scripture tells me is given to us of three score and 10. But God has given me a wonderful life of health and strength. I'm shooting for 100."
Dan was not an entrepreneur, he was a first class con artist who used religious words, quoted the Bible, prayed with and preyed on his victims. He modeled himself after his protégé and hero-his Dad, and did the things that the Senior Pastor and the Strader family did in Carpenter's Home Church continually. Unfortunately, there are others in the Assembly of God who do the same things, even pastors and superintendents.
The facts would later show the Straders for what they are and how they:
Ignored the plight of the elderly victims and raise tens of thousands of dollars for Dan.
Ignored moral discrepancies in Dan's multiple admission of lying and guilt, and declare victory over their enemies, which never came.
Identified the forces of darkness as anyone who would question their views and positions on matters, especially in regards to Dan's crimes.
Ridiculed and lampooned Dan's victims, by deriding them for testifying against Dan.
Arrogantly refused to admit doing any significant wrong and say it was the fault of others a conspiracy out to get them, because of who they are, high profile Christians.
Repeatedly used the pulpit of Carpenter's Home church to issue misleading statements about Dan and others such as "we are being crucified by the press" and using lies and deceptions.
Issued unbelievable hate and slander from a public pulpit, on three investors or victims, who were embezzled by a con artist.
Used people and things in Carpenter's Home Church for their own hidden agendas. Jim, who was used by the Straders for his considerable talent, and to do the punishing work of building Carpenter's Home Church, then threw him out like a gum wrapper. Jim believed in checks and balances, and this was something that Karl and Dan Strader didn't do or practice. Therefore, they hated Jim for loving the truth, and sought a means, at all costs, even at the price of splitting the church, to see him removed from his position.
Denied members and staff members access to elected deacons, and used others on staff as Roy Aldrich had written to work them over with "a rubber hose" for not submitting to their demands and wishes.
Ensured that their salaries were confidential and their positions were maintained at all costs, while others less fortunate and more talented had to leave, even though they had given their best and expected a degree of respect for their loyalty and hard work. It wasn't what you did but who you know, and the same is true in churches today.
Unlike thieving and lying Pastor Karl Strader, Jesus, our great High Priest lives to meet our every need, and He has set special ministries in His Church to heal the sick through prayer and faith. The Scriptures inform us that in these last days we can expect a great manifestation of the saving and healing power of God through a renewed and empowered Church but also the judgments of God against wolves in sheep’s clothing:
"But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' Acts.2:16-21.
Therefore the Lord says, The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, And take vengeance on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city." Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness. The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. Isaiah 1:24-28
"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
"Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. "Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:26-35
Yes there are in the church of God savage wolves like Karl and Dan Strader who don’t spare their own flock from abuse and thievery. Savage wolves who covet the silver, gold and money of their sheep. As South African Evangelist Rodney Howard Browne taught that not only it was the pastors job to fleece the sheep but only God was to judge pastors, not the (dumb) sheep! He also taught that thieves were to be blessed and rewarded, not judged for this is what Jesus would want them to do! He also taught that it was more important to give than to receive and spend a lot of time receiving offerings that he spent on himself and family members. Rodney learned about nepotism from his good friend Senior Pastor Karl Strader of Carpenter’s Home Church, Lakeland, Florida where Rodney became an instant success for the bible stated:
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8
Karl, Dan and Rodney didn’t understand that Jesus and the Father intensely desire to heal the sick, not rob and use them. And Jesus unlike Karl and Rodney was so humble and gentle that He even washed the feet of His disciples. And Jesus is just as gracious today, His arms are open to receive and comfort and to meet the needs of the sheep, not rape or murder them. The false ones didn’t understand that character of Jesus and the Father was to make people whole and complete and not to cause them to die prematurely. Jesus brought life and healing to the sheep and not loss and death as Karl, Dan and Rodney did. While a person who has great faith in God brings healing to another person sons of hell bring destruction and desolation to a person, just as it happened to Roy Aldrich. But God’s word is unchanging:
Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:7-10
Chapter 28
Raised From The Dead
"let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. Acts 4:10
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:1-4
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4
No other founder of any religion was raised from the dead except Jesus Christ demonstrating not only the power of God but that Jesus Christ was and is His Son our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness! And because of Jesus anyone who believes in Him can be made whole, body, soul and spirit today! God’s word is true and unchanging:
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:8-13
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, Ephesians 1:19-20
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Because Jesus Christ is alive today and sitting at the right hand of God anybody who calls upon Him can be saved and have a miracle or a healing or deliverance today. The sick and afflicted: the cancer victims, the heart patients, those with diabetes and all manner of sicknesses and diseases, the little ones that are afflicted, they all can be healed with Jesus’ blood stripes which He endured for their healing! Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever they can have a miracle today!
It doesn’t matter what their need or problem is God can meet it and solve the problem! He who raised Jesus Christ from the dead can do anything that they need Him to do! He is after all God and there is no other! Our miraculous God has the cure for everything even for those who have been diagnosed illness for which there is no cure. In all circumstances God’s word is unchanging:
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:17-19
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses." Matthew 8:16-17
In every negative situation or circumstance we can pray and believe that God will change all things around and bring total salvation, healing, deliverance, restoration and prosperity in Jesus’ name. We can stand on God’s word which says, “If two or more of us agree as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done by my Father which is in Heaven.” As a result we can believe God who made the world out of nothing and hung it on nothing for great results!
And no matter what is the origin of the sickness or affliction Jesus Christ doesn’t have a problem to bring healing or deliverance! And He doesn’t have a problem to intervene in the affairs and circumstances of our lives including the salvation of our loved ones! Our LORD always wants HIS children to inherit all HIS promises. So HE hears our prayers and intervenes in their life, and make HIS light shine in their heart (Acts 16:31). And we can receive Jesus' victory for us today, knowing that He has already provided for all our needs, salvation, provision, healing and restoration, it was all accomplished when He said "it is finished".
His victory is our victory because we're in Him. In the hard places of life while waiting for the manifestations of our salvation, healing, miracles and deliverer we can rejoice that Christ, the Anointed One, the Victorious Conqueror, has risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father and is interceding for us. We can believe His promises and receive by entering into His rest by faith.
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,' " although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:1-3
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Psalm 91:14-16
Chapter 29
The Revealing Of The Sons Of God
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:14-17
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Romans 8:18-21
Legally, we did indeed “get everything” when we were born again. According to God’s word when we became a child of God, we were made “an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ” and potential sons of God. Legally, from that point on, we were entitled to share Christ’s whole inheritance with Him. Experientially, however, we were only at the beginning of a process that takes a lifetime to complete. The Christian life could be described as a progression from the legal to the experiential. Step by step, in faith, we must appropriate in experience all that is already ours by legal right through our faith in Christ. We must do what God commanded the children of Israel to do to go in and possess the land and drive their enemies out. God’s word is true:
I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers-to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-to give to them and their descendants after them.' Deuteronomy 1:8
'Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.' Deuternomy 1:21
" 'Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him. Deuteronomy 2:24
Some of us are blind and cannot see what land God has given for us to posses. We need to pray and say, Holy Spirit, I open my heart and mind to You. Reveal to me the blessings that Jesus has obtained for me and how I may receive them. God desires that every one of His born children, heirs of God and a joint-heir with Jesus live and walk by faith in the fullness of God and by the power of God exercising the dominion and authority that will result in bringing deliverance and liberty to mankind. However God does not entrust authority to children, but to sons. And many in the Church are still children, suffering the same afflictions, oppressions, failures, Family crisis and stagnation as the world, because: the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all.
God’s children have to grow up and develop into being sons of God before they can be entrusted with power to do great wonders and signs among the people. Only sons are vested with the authority to be signs and saviours in the kingdom (Obadiah 1:21). Power is never put in the hands of children, because they themselves are under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father. That is, until they develop into sons. When they becomes sons all elemental forces must obey them. Sickness, disease, failure and frustrations must hear and obey them. God’s word is unchanging:
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Ephesians 4:11-13
Many Christians who should be solution providers are still cry babies. Believers who should provide the answers are still locked up in sickness, poverty and all manner of satanic bondages. But that is not God's will. Yes, God's desires to see the world filled with the manifestation of His sons, where every man and woman in the Church is a worker of signs and wonders, where everyone will be operating on the frequency of the first century apostles, emitting the same quality of fire, producing undeniable results. God’s word is unchanging:
"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. John 3:31
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ...2 Corinthians 5:20
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6
Just like God anointed and made Moses a god to Pharaoh and in the same way He made Jesus, He has made us gods to our generation. As a result of the new birth, we who were once flesh are now spirit and are seated in the earthly realm. Yes, we have been raised up together with Christ Jesus, and are now seated with Him in heavenly places. We are now a citizen of an entirely different kingdom, the kingdom of God. Our presence on earth is simply ambassadorial; we are simply representing the interests of our place of origin - heaven.
Our new birth established a change in our citizenship, from earthly to the heavenly. Just as in the natural, ambassadors enjoy the immunities of the nations they represent, as an ambassador of Christ here on earth, we can enjoy all the immunities that the kingdom of God has to offer. Just like ambassadors enjoy comfort proportional to the wealth of the country they represent we can enjoy the wealth and comfort of heaven. We are to be a sign of distinction, affluence, divine health, progress, etc. Wherever we go, we should be recognized as a sign-carrier and wonder-worker.
Before the fall everything about Adam was extraordinary. His body was superb, hence there was no provision for drugs; all the herbs in the garden were for food. His mind was great. He single handedly named all the animals intelligibly, without repeating any name. His spirit was in union with God. But then Adam blew it by his act of disobedience swapped his dominion over everything that the Lord had made for a life of oppression. Although he was king of the earth, he sold off to Satan, and legally transferred his right to live in the miraculous to Satan. Whereas previously whatever Adam said was law, after the fall, he lost control and was no longer in charge.
But Jesus Christ the last Adam who became a life-giving spirit redeemed us from all the curses that came of Adam and those of the flesh and restored to us all that Adam had lost including authority and dominion in the earth over all things. Hence as anointed ones we can speak and act with the authority and dominion that God has given us. God’s word is unchanging:
Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9-10
So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19
When they brought to Jesus those who were demon-possessed He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick (Matthew 8:16). And now God expects His anointed ones to do exactly the same.
Jesus, our pattern for being a son of God, experienced all that He taught. He healed the sick and was never sick Himself. He cast out demons and was never oppressed by any. He carried virtue for prosperity and was not a pauper. Similarly we must rise up vehemently against that stagnation or sickness or any other anti-covenant thing that is hanging around us because the husbandman must be the first partaker of the fruits. It ridiculous for a believer who is to lay hands on the sick to be sick himself, for one who should cast out devils to be oppressed by demons. Every unction passing through us to benefit mankind should benefit us first and foremost. God’s word is unchanging:
"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Acts 16:17-20
Good and great miraculous signs and wonders should follow believers! By virtue of their status, they are to be followed by signs, not sorrows. The devil himself is under their feet, so wherever they appear he must disappear! However, until they can grasp the reality of their heritage in God as sons of God and who they are in Christ, they can never walk in the miraculous.
A Christian should be ashamed of sickness the way he is of sin. He should be embarrassed at defeat or failure in his life the way he would be at being caught in adultery. Why? By virtue of his new status in Christ, he should not be under anything anymore. So, God is upset when His children are cheated, defeated and manhandled, because on His part, He has done all He needs to do to ensure they live a victorious life. God’s word is unchanging:
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6
God has a plan in place for His beloved people whom he has blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly paces in Christ to enjoy divine health and divine prosperity. Next to salvation from sin, God's desire is that they experience salvation from sickness and lack. When God made the first man, he was physically sound and had an abundance of everything. There was no provision made for any form of medication as sickness was not a part of God's plans for man. Sickness came in with the entrance of sin. In other words, the moment Satan took over the government of this world, and in consonance with his name — "the wicked", the first thing he did was to create sickness. Therefore, as long as a person is a child of the devil, sickness, poverty and lack are a part of his inheritance. However, when anyone escapes the kingdom of Satan, into the kingdom of the Son of God, he has also escaped from the horror of sickness and disease and lack.
Until sin came, sickness and poverty did not exist; so when sin goes, sickness and poverty goes with it. More often than not, the presence of sickness in the body of a believer is as a result of ignorance, because sickness thrives on ignorance. But once a believer can contact the truth of the Word, he has located the final solution to any type of sickness or disease in his body. A believer must understand and appreciate that:
1. No sickness is to be treated as ordinary.
2. Sickness is a spirit.
3. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law; therefore, any sickness in our body is a curse from the enemy.
4. Until we curse that sickness and the spirit behind it by ourselves, God is not going to curse it for us.
The good news is that once we are born again, Christ has redeemed us from every curse of the law (Gal.3:13-14), so none can have a hold on us any longer. We are now longer in the domain where curses have a legal right over us. That was why Jesus not only shed His blood, but hung on a tree as well — to secure our redemption from the curses of the law. Therefore the cross of Christ crushed the curse of the law. When sickness or poverty is not a function of sin in a man's life or of ignorance, it can also operate freely under the guise of the curse of the law. God’s word is unchanging:
"If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, "then the LORD will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues-great and prolonged plagues-and serious and prolonged sicknesses. "Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. "Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the LORD bring upon you until you are destroyed. "You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God. "And it shall be, that just as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. Deuteronomy 28:58-63
The truth is that God has done everything on His own part. He has completed His own part of the contract. He has purchased our health at the expense of His Son's blood. But He expects us to enter into it and make it a reality in our individual life. Every sickness in our life now is due for a curse. We are to use our mouth to curse it and rebuke it just like Elisha did to his antagonizers and Jesus did to the fig tree and to the fever Peter’s mother had. God’s word is unchanging:
Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 2 Kings 2:23-24
And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:19-22
Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them. Acts 4:38-39
God’s word tells believers, Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2). God wants believers to prosper and be comfortable as well as healthy. He saw them in discomfort and sent Jesus Christ to come and give them the abundant life. Man's discomfort was a result of Adam fall from grace and being driven out of the Garden of Eden where he did not lack anything, he was super comfortable. When Adam fell he was driven out of the Garden of Eden into the wilderness and the gates were shut. Thus, no one could gain access into the garden until Jesus came out of the grave and the gates of life flung open (Psalm 24:7). Among those gates was the gate that led back to Eden. That is to say that God is bringing His people back into their Eden of abundance. Therefore, financial signs are a part of believer’s redemptive rights in God and their Abrahamic blessing.
Most of God’s people are deceived into thinking that because they still live in our physical bodies they are human; but nothing could be farther from that! Jesus, who is their example and life was born of the Spirit, yet He arrived the earth very much human. But there was no denying the fact that He was also the Son of God. The same is true concerning believers. When they are born again, they are a spirit being, even though they have a mind and live in a physical temple called the body.
Adam, before the fall, operated in the class of God. His mind functioned in the same frequency as God's. He was a man of authority, a man in dominion. One day, however, he ate the forbidden fruit, and in accordance with God's warning, he died. Adam's death was, however, spiritual, not physical. He was still physically alive, but his spirit was disconnected from God. At that very instance Adam went from the realm of the supernatural to the natural. He descended from the spirit world to the physical world. He also became a victim of what he used to have dominion over.
But God was undaunted, and as in a relay race, He picked up the baton that Adam had dropped and passed it unto Jesus, who did not fail Him. Jesus came primarily to recreate what had died in Adam — his spirit. He came to restore to humanity what had been lost in Adam. He was called the second Adam, because like the first Adam, He was a representative of all mankind. With this restoration, as many as receive Jesus into their hearts can operate in the same class as the first Adam before the fall. God’s word is unchanging:
"The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.1 Corinthians 15:45-47
Satan could not prevail in heaven, so he was cast down to the earth. Two kingdoms are brought to light here. The earthly and the heavenly. Only those who reside in the earthly kingdom are under the wrath of Satan. Those who are born again have been translated from the earthly to the heavenly kingdom. And in the heavenly kingdom there is rejoicing, because there is no place found for Satan there anymore.
As a new creature in Christ, we can safely conclude that Satan has no right to be anywhere around us. In our heavenly citizen status therefore, we should be able to display "the riches of His glory" in the face of the devil, not suffering as those in earthly places do. Just like Enoch who was translated so that he did not see death, we have been translated too, so that we do not experience the same buffeting as the world.
The fact that we have been redeemed guarantees us absolute liberty from all forms of oppression of the devil. We are no longer his captive, so he cannot plague our body or tamper with the works of our hand. This knowledge should spur us into reacting against the gimmicks of hell in all areas of your life. Everybody may be complaining about the devil, but God is complaining about the ignorance of His people! There is no mountain anywhere; every man's ignorance is his mountain.
Once we know where we belong, we should be able to confront the devil and secure our victory. Case in point sickness is not our portion in God. So, if we sense an attack of sickness coming, we are to react against it based on the light of God's Word. We are not to nurse or accept it, just fight it off, and enjoy liberty. The advantage Satan has over believers is ignorance. He plays on the ignorance of the saints to buffet, oppress and punish them. The bible tells us: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11. But Satan has been stripped of all his powers and is left with only wiles and devices (Eph. 6:11). By being conscious of our superiority over Satan, we can "take him for a ride." Instead of living at his mercy, we can turn the tables on him, compelling him to take to his heels at the mention of our name! Redemption guarantees our total liberty. With this understanding, we hold in our hands the master key to rest in all spheres of life.
Jesus took the place of man in sin, sickness, poverty, death, and every evil thing in the world. He was made sin on the cross, identifying with man in the fallen state. He became sin for us. We were in Christ in every stage of it. We were legally present there, defeating the devil when Jesus died. We took part in His suffering (His passion), in His crucifixion, burial and resurrection. He became identified with us on the cross and we with Him. When Jesus was made alive by the Spirit, we were also there. We were raised up from the dead together with Him. And when God raised Him up and exalted Him far above principalities and powers, we were there with Him, exalted as well.
As a result of this mystery of identification, all principalities and powers are under our feet. Through Christ Jesus we are now one with the Father as Jesus was one with Him. As a result we have the same nature with God the Father. Therefore, whatever God can handle, by virtue of identification with christ, we can too! What we carry now is eternal life. We have the life of God inside us, as a gift from heaven. That life cannot be terminated by any ploy of hell. Rather, it is quite capable of swallowing up disease, failure, stagnation, frustration and even death.
The eternal life we carry on our inside is real, not theoretical. It is the exact type in Jesus that made Him immune to sickness and disease. That same life guaranteed His rest even in adverse situations. In it lay all He would ever require to live the abundant life. This same life is what we carry inside us! Once we become conscious of it, sickness cannot survive in our body. Failure itself cannot come near where we are. The Bible says whatsoever is born of God (a carrier of eternal life) overcomes all the hurdles of life (1 John 5:4). This truth will establish us as sons of God licensed of God to displace the devil in any environment we step into. Not guessing, but quite sure of who we are in Christ and what God has done in us when we entered the kingdom of God. God’s word is unchanging:
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:5-6
"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.. John 3:31
Joy Comes In The Morning
I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:1-5
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3
God is no respecter of persons! What He has done for one He will do for another! The word of God takes precedence over any opinions, views, experiences and thoughts of man! And the word tells us, I cried out to You, And You healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. In the New Covenant we receive all things by faith, not by feeling or good works! And Jesus clearly told us
Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-23
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29
“All things are possible to him who believes." And only unbelieving man limits what “all things” means, not God! Yes God specializes in things thought impossible. The bible tells us that Elisha took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. Yes, God specializes in things thought impossible He does the things others cannot do! He, who framed the worlds by the word of God so the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible, is not dependent on the any human element to do His miracles!
Oscar C. Eliason wrote in 1929 the chorus of Got any rivers. He was dying of TB in a Minneapolis hospital and an elderly minister came by one evening and prayer was offered. The next day be began to improve and he continued to improve to such an extent that the Doctors admitted that something out of the ordinary had happened. As he was getting better he saw an adv. in the Minneapolis Star Tribune by a construction company that used the slogan. He changed the words to:
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through
God specializes in things thought impossible
He does the things others cannot do.
This little chorus has touched and encouraged so many lives and later became a song with some very encouraging words.
Got Any Rivers
Be of good courage God spoke unto Joshua
When o'er the river God pointed the way
Jordan uncrossable, things seemed impossible
Waters divide as they march and obey
Chorus
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specialises in things thought impossible
And does the things that others cannot do.
Battles to win they would meet with their obstacles
Jericho's walls too must, fall to the ground
God never failed He stood back of his promises
Walls had to crumble as they marched around
Chorus
God is the same and His Word is dependable
He'll make a way through the water's for you
Life's situations by Him are amendable
Mountains and Hills He will part for you too
God never promised to keep us in a negative circumstance but to bring us safely through. As a result in life we are either in a storm, going into a storm, or coming out of a storm. But for those who are in a storm we can know that the storm is almost over, and there is something we can do while we wait for the sun to peep through the clouds. We can remember that storms in our lives are necessary to prepare us for greater works. No one enjoys going through a storm, but it is preparing us for our breakthrough.
When God wanted to purge the earth of sin, what did He do? He sent a flood. When He wants to purge us of some unpleasant thing in our lives, what does He do? He sends the rain as a cleansing agent to rid us of pride, arrogance, selfishness, jealousy, idolatry and any other sin that may be blocking our blessings.
Storms come and storms go. But what do you do while you are in a storm? Here's help from the sanctuary . . . Don't let go of your HOPE. HOPE is the only thing that will keep you from drowning. Hold on to your HOPE. So go on and put the H back in Hope. Hope will restore your health, healing, and your happiness. Go on and put the O back in hOpe. Keep going On! It is the only thing that will help you get over those difficult days and out of your storm. Go on and put the P back in hoPe. Continue to pray, praise and have patience. And remember God's promises. Go on and put the E back in hopE. Everything will be all right in the morning. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
It is so easy to be hopeless when we are going through storms. The one who drowns is the one who gives up all hope. The one who survives and goes on to do exploits for the Lord is the one who continues to have hope when there seems to be no way out. Believe with each passing moment that the storm is almost over. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord in spite of your storms. God’s word is true:
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him. The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies. Nahum 1:3-8
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
There was no necessity for the disciples of Jesus to encounter a storm on the Sea of Galilee just because they obeyed Jesus words "Let's go to the others side"? The storm's origin was demonic and hence Jesus rebuked the demons and the sea became calm. Just because demons cause storms doesn't mean that God is in them or they are for our advantage as is implied by the unscriptural phrase "Storms in our lives are necessary to prepare us for greater works" or "storms in our lives are heaven sent?"
You don't correct people by throwing stones at them? So the idea that God throws at us or allows negative things to come into the lives of His people like sickness to correct us or teach us some important lesson is hogwash? Most normal parents teach their children by speaking to them with kind words and only resort to any use of force as a last resort if they are rebellious, stubborn or unteachable? So is God any different? No! He teaches His people by His Spirit through His voice and spoken words and His written word or by His true prophets and not by negative circumstance. His word is unchanging:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.1 John 2:27
The bible tells us what when God spoke as a result of His word heaven and earth came into existence? In other words, when God speaks a miracle happens? But not all of God's miracles are positive ones as Pharaoh and his mighty army can testify when God parted the Red Sea and closed it on His enemies! When Jesus spoke miracles also happened because He is God. So what happened when Jesus spoke to the false ones of His day and our day and said "Woe to you?" They died in the judgments that followed in 70 A.D. at the hands of God's other ministers, the Romans, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil (Romans 13:4).
Jesus Christ is the Way-Maker and the World Changer. Life may not be fair but it is sure He is the only answer in it. God true ones are to hold to Him and walk in Him and hear His voice in the midst of the battles and storms of life. When the wind is howling around them and the storm is about to swallow them that is when He is in the boat with them and helping them to walk on water. It is important to walk there or they will be defeated by the sheer force of life. It is not always what they want or desire. It is what has been ordained and allowed for their betterment. To make them strong in Him. To make them sure of Him. To help them walk in the assurance of His provision and protection and position.
The ways of men are not God’s ways. They are the ways of men who walk in their own understandings and based on their own half-baked truths. He is not at all like them nor will He ever be like them. God’s true ones are not to fear them and stay close to Him and hold on to Him. They are not to let them intimidate them or harass them or change them in their current course of action. They are foolish and shifting sands but God in Jesus Christ is their Rock and High Tower and their hiding place in the midst of the storm. He is their Wing under which they can take refuge and their Savior in the storm. He is the Fourth Man in the fires of their lives. He is their victor in the battles of life. He is always with them. They are not to look to the right or to the left, but look only to Him. He is going to do all He has promised them and He above others keeps his word.
God has given His true ones all authority over the enemy. They have all strength and courage in the face of the enemy. They are not to let a demon ever frighten them. No circumstance--ice, snow, or pestilence or disease ever frighten them because He Himself is with them. He will let no one and nothing ever overwhelm or harm them in any way. He is their safety and high tower in the midst of the storms of life. He will not let them go for any reason. He is able to make the worlds and galaxies to come into being, so He is able to do all them need or require. But He does it in His timing as He has important lessons of spiritual life for them to learn.
Then, He will release them to do the work to which He has called them. They too are being established and made ready for the battle to which He has called them. He has called them will keep and establish them. He has promised it and He is able to do what they have committed to Him against that day. He has promised it and it is so. Cause it was spoken forth from His very mouth. It can never be taken back or changed. He has spoken it. They can consider it already done. Whatever, is of faith is to be considered already done because He, their Lord, considers it already performed and done. Principles of law and truth in the spiritual realm are not at all like those in the physical or fleshly realm and they transcend the physical, overriding the events and circumstances of the physical world. If they live in the spiritual realm, they cross all the barriers of the physical world and live on a new plane of understanding, gifts and the very person of God. This new way of living is nothing anyone can teach them except by the Word of God and the Presence of the Holy Spirit.
By Annie Johnson Flint
"When Thou passest through the waters,"
Deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And his promise is our hold;
For the Lord himself has said it,
He, the faithful God and true;
"When you come to the waters
You will not go down, but through."
Deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And his promise is our hold;
For the Lord himself has said it,
He, the faithful God and true;
"When you come to the waters
You will not go down, but through."
Seas of sorrow, Seas of trial,
Bitter anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain...
They will never overflow us
For we know His work is true;
All His waves and all His billows
He will lead us safely through.
Bitter anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain...
They will never overflow us
For we know His work is true;
All His waves and all His billows
He will lead us safely through.
Threatening breakers of destruction,
Doubt's insidious undertow,
Will not sink us, will not drag us
Out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise will sustain us,
Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We will not go down, or under,
For He says, "You will pass through."
Doubt's insidious undertow,
Will not sink us, will not drag us
Out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise will sustain us,
Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We will not go down, or under,
For He says, "You will pass through."
Chapter 31
Saved From My Enemies
I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3
He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:16 -19
There is nothing too hard for our LORD who is a God of Miracles and a very present help in time of trouble to do! He is after all our strength, our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our high tower, our salvation, our shield, our reward, our stronghold and our deliverer! He who created heaven and earth and sustains all things by the power of His word doesn’t have any difficulty keeping His promises for those who believe His word! His word is unchanging:
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8
And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:14-21
Sickness, disease, poverty, lack, demons are not our friends but our enemies which Jesus Christ has defeated on the cross of Calvary ! It is a very easy thing for our God to save us from all our enemies. Yes, when it concerns His trusting loved ones, nothing passes God’s heart, love or eyes. He whose eye is upon the sparrow is upon them. He who touches them touches the apple of God’s eye. God’s word to them is unchanging:
"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. "But seek the kingdom of God
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:2-4
Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be. There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' Then Israel
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah
And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always {and} under all circumstances {and} whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 Amplified Bible
But we cannot serve God and Mammon and expect Him to bless us. We can not to follow the worldly and spiritual path together and expect to be friends with God. We need God’s help to enable me to place our faith, hope and trust in Him alone and serve Him alone no matter where that takes us. We need to ask Him to renew the strength in us and help us to soar up high and wait on Him everyday so that He can bless us and make our life prosperous. When we wait upon the Lord, we will never have reason to feel ashamed of it. He will definitely be good to us (Lamentations 3:25 ). He will transform us into fortunate people. He will give us wisdom, make us prosper and we will receive renewed strength and be able to soar up like eagles. With God all things are possible and we can loose the peace of God to our home and bind every attack of the enemy that would try to rob our rest and peace. We can loose the Holy Spirit who is the Great Comforter over our home and thank God with for tremendous victories in every area of our life. God’s word is true:
"Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him." Isaiah 30:18
"Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers; they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me." Isaiah 49:23
By Adam Bartlett
I am the Salt of the earth - (Matthew 5:13 )
I am the Light of the world - (Matthew 5:14 )
I am a Child of God - (John 1:12 )
I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life - (John 15:1,5)
I am Christ's Friend - (John 15:15 )
I am chosen and appointed by god to bear His Fruit - (John 15:16 )
I am a Slave of Righteousness - (Romans 6:18 )
I am Enslaved to God - (Romans 6:22 )
I am a son of God and God is my Spiritual Father - (Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6)
I am Joint Heirs with Christ - (Romans 8:17 )
I am a Member of Christ's Body - (1 Corinthians 12:27 ; Ephesians 5:30 )
I am a Temple 3:16 ; 6:19 )
I am united to the Lord in One Spirit with Him - (1 Corinthians 6:17 )
I am a New Creation - (2 Corinthians 5:17 )
I am Reconciled to God - (2 Corinthians 5:18 -19)
I am an Heir of God since I am a son - (Galatians 4:6-7)
I am a Saint - (Ephesians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2)
I am God's workmanship, His handiwork - (Ephesians 2:10 )
I am a Fellow Citizen of God's Family - (Ephesians 2:19 )
I am a Prisoner of Christ - (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1)
I am Righteous and Holy - (Ephesians 4:24 )
I am seated in Heaven right now - (Philippians 3:20 )
I am Hidden with Christ IN God - (Colossians 3:3)
I am an expression of Christ because He is my life - (Colossians 3:4)
I am Chosen by God, holy and dearly loved - (Colossians 3:12 ; 1 Thessalonians 1:4)
I am a Son of Light and not darkness - (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
I am a Holy Partaker of a heavenly calling - (Hebrews 3:1)
I am a Partaker of Christ, I share in His life - (Hebrews 3:14 )
I am a Living Stone in God's spiritual house - (1 Peter 2:5)
I am Chosen , a Royal Priest, and Peculiar - (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I am a Stranger to this world, it is temporary - (1 Peter 2:11 )
I am an Enemy of the devil - (1 Peter 5:8)
I am a Child of God and will resemble Christ when He returns - (1 John 3:1-2)
I am Born of God and the enemy cannot touch me - (1 John 5:18 )
He has promised to always be with us Hebrews 13:5. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
He has promised to hear our prayers and give us the desire of our heart 1 Peter 3:12 - Psalm 37:4 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
He said we are conquerors Romans
He said He would keep us from falling and present us faultless Jude 24. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
He said He would supply all we need at all times. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work.
He has promised all the seed we need. 2 Corinthians 9:10 - Hebrews 13:20 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus form the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.
He is greater than anyone or anything. 1 John 4:4 You are of God little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
He does more than we ask. Ephesians
His thoughts to us are for good. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
As we seek Him He rewards us. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
He know us. Psalm 139:3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
His eye is on us. 1 Peter
He is praying for us. Hebrews
Victory Ministries
Walter Kambulow
September 15, 2009
All rights reserved
Burlington, Ontario
Mail to walthope@mail.com
[i] The Possibilities of Prayer by E.M.Bounds
[ii] The Role of Women in Ministry, Assembly of God position paper- 1990
[iii] JUNIA, A FEMALE APOSTLE, Dennis J. Preato, http://www.godswordtowomen.org/junia-preato.htm
[iv] Was Paul a Feminist? November 1, 2004, Dr. John Cobb, Professor Emeritus, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont
When we were children we are told of a mystical, magical god that loves all and is just. We are told that governments exist to provide us with justice.
ReplyDeleteWe are told that the cure for despair is hope but having existed in this world for for over half a century I have come to learn a greater truth about god and government that is far from the mystical and magical lessons we are taught in childhood.
Unfortunately many of us would rather continue to drink from the pap than take up a knife and fork and fill ourselves with reality.
I hope and pray all will go well for those in despair.
Thank you so much for providing these valuable information. I’m looking forward to the next time that I get to come to your blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://awaremed.com/addictionrecovery/