THE BEST OF FAITH
TEACHING FROM GOD’S WORD
Getting
Offended Hinders Your Miracle
The
apostle Paul made an interesting statement when writing to Titus, whom he called
his "partner and fellow worker" (2 Cor. 8:23), and "a true son in our common
faith" (Titus 1:40).
In
the first sentence of his letter, Paul said that God cannot lie. (Titus 1:2.)
This one statement alone is the most important statement in the Bible. Without
this one truth, everything we believe -- all our hope, all of our faith -- would
be useless. Let me explain.
Everything
in the Word of God is based on belief. But belief in what? Belief in God and
belief that He has not lied and will not lie. God expects us to believe Him. He
expects us to place our entire existence, every thing we are and everything we
have, on the line. He wants us to have total faith in Him. In fact, He not only
expects it, but He requires it.
When
Jesus went to His own town of Nazareth, He taught in the synagogue. Many people
heard him and were astonished. In fact, they were so amazed at His teachings
that some even wondered where He got all His knowledge. But then something
happened. Some of the people realized that this Jesus was the same Jesus that
had grown up in the town of Nazareth, and this offended them. When they became
offended, they quit believing what He was saying and as a result, Jesus could
not do many mighty works in that town.
"Now
He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid 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 6:5,6).
The
Bible says He could not do many mighty works, not that He would not do many
mighty works. How can this be? Well, God has always been moved by belief. He has
always responded to faith. When man believes that God will do His Word in their
lives, God moves to perform it.
God
promises salvation, healing, and prosperity in His Word, but it is only for
those who believe. It is only for those who have faith in His Word. It is only
for those who believe that He did not lie and then they act on that
belief.
Jesus
died for the sins of the world, but only those who believe in Him will reap the
benefits of His death and resurrection. God only responds to faith. Doubt and
unbelief do not move Him. That's why Satan continually tries to put doubt in the
minds of people.
Where
there is doubt, there is no faith. And, according to the Bible, where there is
no faith, even the Word does not work. Hebrews 4:2 says that there were two
groups of people. Both groups had the same gospel preached to them. But the
gospel that one group heard did not profit them because they did not mix it with
faith in their hearts.
There
is much power in the Word, but only for those who have faith. Faith believes
God. Faith knows God does not lie and places everything on that
belief.
Remember
when Paul was in Lystra and a certain man who could not walk and was crippled
from birth was sitting by the road?
"This
man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had
faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet!'
And he leaped and walked" (Acts 14:9,10).
When
Paul looked at him, what was he looking for? He was looking for faith. Is faith
important? According to Scripture, it is.
Breaking
the Spirit of Control
Control
and manipulation are tools of the devil. Freedom and guidance are tools of the
Spirit of God. Jesus said that if we would abide in His Word, we would know the
truth and that the truth would set us free. (John 8:31-32.) God is a God of
freedom and the devil is the god of bondage.
I've
heard people try to manipulate God with their prayers and it may sound strange,
but there are those who try to apply the world's methods to their communication
with God.
Several
years ago, I was talking with a man who knew that God had instructed him
specifically on something he was to do in his life. Not only did this man know
this in his heart, but it was also confirmed by the Holy Scriptures. However, he
refused to do what he knew was right.
When
I asked him why he was rebelling against God's command, he made a very
astonishing statement. He said, "I'm believing that if I hold off long enough
that eventually God will see that I don't want to do it and He will change His
mind." God does not respond to picketing, protest marches, or sit down strikes.
And we cannot manipulate God or control Him by these socially-accepted,
politically-correct methods.
Another
man told me that he did not agree with one of the current theological teachings.
He went on to make a very ludicrous statement. He said, "If I can get enough
people to believe the way I believe, then certainly God will agree with me."
Wrong! As Christians, we live in a kingdom and not in a democracy. Only what the
King of kings decides becomes our way of life. (Rev. 19:16.)
I
knew of another gentleman who believed if he could publicly prophecy something
in church, then certainly God would cause it to come to pass because God would
not allow Himself to be embarrassed. God doesn't get embarrassed. He knows the
truth and you cannot control or manipulate Him.
Control
and manipulation are spirits associated with the spirit of fear. (1 Tim. 1:7.)
Yes, in the Book of Galatians we are told that a part of the fruit of the spirit
is self-control. (Gal. 5:23.) Self-discipline is of God, but attempting to
manipulate or control God or any other person by your words or deeds is
witchcraft and is not of God.
Your
Broken Heart Can Be Healed
Many
people are walking through life with a broken heart. Although they hide it well,
behind the smiles and social activities, deep inside there are open wounds and
pain from the past.
When
Jesus was in Nazareth, He said that God had sent Him to heal the brokenhearted
and to proclaim liberty to the captives. (Luke 4:18.) If this is true, then why
are there so many Christians living with broken hearts?
Everything
in the Word of God must be received by faith. Faith is simply believing that God
has done everything He said He would do and believing it so completely that
everything we say and everything we do is based upon that belief. According to
the Bible, we only receive what we believe.
Many
retain their broken heart because they have given up hope that their heart could
ever be healed, or they have tried using the world's methods with negative
results. Psychology in its proper perspective can help, but only the power of
God can completely cure.
The
truth is, Jesus has already paid the price. He has already done everything that
needs to be done for your heart to be healed. It doesn't matter who has wronged
you. It doesn't matter who has lied to you. Regardless of the physical, verbal,
or emotional abuse that you have received in your life, the good news is that
Jesus has paid the price for your freedom. Jesus has done everything that needs
to be done for your broken heart to be healed and for you to no longer be held
captive by the problems of the past, but to walk free, from this day forward, in
victory.
How
can this happen? Actually, it is so simple that most people miss it. In the same
way that Jesus paid the price for our salvation, Jesus paid the price for our
emotional freedom. In order for you to have everlasting life, there is nothing
that you need to do except to receive the gift that He has already paid for. He
died on the cross. God raised Him from the dead. And when you believe that,
speak it, receive it, and confess Him publicly, you have been born again. In the
same way, He has paid the price for your broken heart to be
healed.
Satan's
Words Have No Power
Man
was created as a speaking spirit in the image and in the likeness of God. Man
was created to look like God and to act like God. No other creation was created
in His image and likeness - only man.
God
is a three-part being. The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:7 that "The Father, the
Word, and the Holy Spirit, these three are one." Jesus said, "He who has seen Me
has seen the Father" (John 14:9), and "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30).
Man is a three-part being. He is spirit, soul, and body (1 Thess. 5:23). So God
is a three-part being, man is a three-part being, and man was created in the
image and likeness of God.
Ephesians
5:1 says that we are to act like God. While we are not God and will never be
God, God did create us in His image and likeness, so obviously, He wants us not
only to look like Him, but to act like Him. Simply put, God wants us to love
what He loves and to dislike what He dislikes. And we also must remember that
God has not changed and does not change.
The
Bible tells us in the Old Testament that God the Father does not change and in
the New Testament, Hebrews 13:8 tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever." So we can say with confidence that the things
God liked 5,000 years ago, He liked 2,000 years ago at the time of Jesus and He
still likes them today. Likewise, the things God disliked 5,000 years ago, He
disliked at the time of Jesus and He still dislikes them today. God is not
politically correct, nor does God's plan change with
society.
God
created man as a speaking spirit so that we would have the authority to speak
His Word on the earth and take authority over all the power of the enemy. (Luke
10:19.) The life you are living today was framed by the words that you spoke
yesterday. And the life you will be living tomorrow is being framed by the words
you speak today. Quite literally, your life and your death are in the power of
your tongue. (Prov. 18:21.)
When
someone believes in their heart the truth of God's Word and they speak that
truth, it comes to pass because their faith activates the Word. The words of
Satan have no power unless you repeat them. If you listen to the lie of the
enemy and speak the lie, it activates the opposing spiritual force of fear and
enables the enemy to do his work. We could say that repeating his lie is aiding
and abetting the enemy because it enables him with power and gives him
permission to destroy.
Faith
and fear are the two spiritual forces that activate power and release angelic
spirits to do their work. When faith is spoken, according to Psalm 103:20, it
activates the angels of God to bring His Word to pass. We know that angelic
spirits are on the earth for the purpose of ministering to the children of God.
But they can only do this as they are instructed by the voice of His Word and
Christians are the only ones authorized to speak His Word in faith. We have been
given that authority.
As
a speaking spirit, you choose to release the Word of God into the earth or you
choose to release the words of the enemy into the earth. Either way, it's your
choice. And your harvest in life will depend upon your choice. Jesus said in
Mark 11:23 that if we believe in our heart that what we say will come to pass,
we will have what we say.
Are
your words important? Yes, they are vitally important! Not only do they bring
death or life (Prov. 18:21), but according to Jesus, we will be justified or
condemned by the words we speak, even the words that we consider trivial or
pointless because they contain the power of their meaning. (Matt. 12:37.)
As
you live your life, never forget you are a speaking spirit created in the
likeness and image of God. You are His voice and you are to let your light shine
for Him. The enemy is frantically trying to get you to say what he wants done.
He wants you to prophesy his fear into the earth. He knows that without your
voice, he has no power. So as you speak, give no place to the devil (Eph. 4:27),
but instead let your faith-filled words empower God's grace to work for your
good.
Living
in Constant Conflict
Some
people live in constant conflict. They move from emotional crisis to emotional
crisis and from conflict with one person to another throughout their lives. They
are in constant conflict with themselves and continually try to pull others into
the conflict. They say they desire peace, but because of the years of continual
strife and confusion, they have become fearful of peace and a type of
codependency develops with the conflict. Friends and family who are drawn into
these conflicts unknowingly become enablers and with each conflict, the pattern
of destruction becomes more entrenched.
The
Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that God is not the author of confusion, but
of peace. God's plan is for every Christian to live their life peaceably without
conflict. That does not mean that we will never be in conflict with the devil.
The enemy will always look for opportunities to attack God's people physically,
financially, and emotionally. We are to fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim.
6:12), which is simply to believe God's Word is true and act on what God says.
However,
there should never be conflict and fighting between the children of God. God's
family should always dwell in harmony, contentment, and peace. Of course, this
does not mean that we should ignore discipline and allow others to abuse us. We
must stand up for what is right, but there are those within the body who seem to
be in constant turmoil and who appear to not want to change.
The
question is, how do we deal with those fellow Christians who live in constant
conflict with others - people who continually stir up strife in their own life
and in the lives of others?
The
first thing a person must do in answering any question is go to the Word of God
and see what He says to do. First and foremost, God's Word teaches that we must
love and forgive. Love is not an emotion, but a fruit of the Spirit and the way
we love each other is the way that the world will know we are Christians. (John
13:35.) Love establishes who we are and forgiveness establishes our relationship
with God. In Mark 11:25-26, we are told that if we have anything against anyone,
we are to forgive them. If we don't, God will not forgive us and our
relationship with Him will be broken.
Now,
with this foundation of love and forgiveness firmly established, we find Romans
16:17 says, "I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses,
contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them." The next verse
tells us that these people who cause divisions and offenses can have flattering
words and appear to be righteous.
Naturally,
as Christians, we are to love and forgive. But there are those who seem to never
change, even though they have been loved and forgiven over and over again. They
never repent but continue to cause division and strife everywhere they go.
Interestingly, this division and strife is not centralized. Like a cancer, it
spreads through their families, the workplace, and the church. Because they
won't repent, nothing ever changes and life becomes miserable for them and
everyone around them.
Over
the years, I have known many critical and offensive people. Some of them have
repented and gone on to live lives that were full of joy and peace. Others
refuse correction. Because of their pride, and their belief that they were not
the problem, they have continued to live sad lives in constant conflict. They
are full of misery and hurt, believing that everyone else has caused them to not
fulfill their own potential and dreams in life.
So
we are brought back to our original question. How do you deal with offended
people living in constant conflict?
Of
course, we love and minister to them as we are guided by the Holy Spirit. And
for the ones who come to their senses and repent, who turn away from strife,
conflict, bickering, and murmuring, you receive them into fellowship.
According
to the Word, however, those who will not submit to the ministry of peace and
continue to create turmoil should be avoided. There are many issues that will
determine the degree to which you can do this. Working conditions or family
associations all factor into it. Still, to the degree that you can, you should
do your best to associate with wise people who walk in sound doctrine and love,
and avoid those who don't.
How
can you tell if a person in conflict has repented? The answer to that is quite
simple. The conflict will have ceased. Jesus said that a tree would be known by
its fruit. (Luke 6:44.)
Scripture
References:
If
it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (Romans
12:18)
A
servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach,
patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will
grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come
to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by
him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
He
who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be
destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20)
Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called
and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1
Timothy 6:12)
The
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians
5:22-23)
The
True Cost of Unbelief
"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" (1 Cor. 2:14).
One
of the greatest hindrances to the manifestation of the power of God is unbelief.
When Jesus could not do many mighty works in his hometown of Nazareth, the Bible
says that He marveled at their unbelief. He strongly implied that their unbelief
itself was the hindrance to the manifestation of the healing and delivering
power of God. (Mark 6:5-6.)
There
are several kinds of unbelief. Some people have unbelief because they don't know
the truth. They have never been exposed to the truth of God's Word and simply do
not believe because they've never heard the truth.
Then
there are those who believe in God and they believe in His power for
deliverance, but because of incorrect teaching, they believe that sometimes God
allows people to be sick, diseased, and in poverty for a purpose. The result of
this incorrect teaching is that many times those who need to be healed and
delivered will not experience deliverance because of the uncertainty in their
mind. The enemy puts this continual thought in their mind: "Maybe I'm the one
who is called to bear this burden. Maybe I'm the one that God has chosen to not
receive His power so that somehow someone else can be delivered. Or possibly God
is trying to teach me something. After all, Jesus did say we have to bear our
cross!"
Years
ago a gentleman told me that he knew that God had put him in the hospital and
had brought about his pain and suffering so that he could witness to someone who
worked at the hospital. That is ridiculous! Certainly the God of the universe
who spoke creation out of nothing could create a circumstance by which he could
witness to the hospital worker without having to be made sick and diseased in
the process. However, many people are taught this by well-meaning teachers who
are trying to give God an excuse and to explain away why some Christians are
sick. Spiritual laziness is the result.
Although
the price has been paid for our deliverance, the action of faith requires
confession and receiving of the gift. There are those who simply don't want the
hassle that comes with receiving because we have the responsibility to act on
our belief. This results in misguided priorities and opens the door for
deception in our thinking and actions.
Once
I went to purchase an automobile. I knew the exact brand, model, and color that
I wanted. So I went to a dealership to make my purchase. I walked around the
showroom for fifteen or twenty minutes and couldn't seem to find a salesman.
When I asked the receptionist if I could speak to a salesman, her response was,
"I'm sorry, they can't speak to you right now. They're in the boardroom
receiving instruction on how to make more sales." I walked out of the showroom
and drove a quarter of a mile down the road and purchased a different
car.
In
the same way that the salesman lost the sale and his commission because he was
in a meeting learning how to make sales, many Christians miss their healing
because they feel they're too sick to call for the elders, or to go to church,
or to feed on healing scriptures and teachings.
Sometimes
doubt is a result of intellectual thinking and being led by logic instead of
being led by the spirit. Belief requires humility and submission to God,
realizing that the price has been paid, the work has been done, and that the
gift of deliverance is ours.
Many
times unbelief comes from what we perceive through our physical senses. When the
prayer of faith has been prayed and it is not physically obvious that things
have changed, we have to consciously choose to override the unbelief that
naturally comes from what we can physically see with the faith we have in God
and what He has said.
Faith
comes through hearing God's Word and the mental decision to believe what we
hear. But when our faith is put into action and we don't immediately see the
manifestation of our faith, then we must move out of the realm of our mental
thinking and reasoning and submit completely to the spirit. Man cannot naturally
discern (through the five senses) what is taking place in the spirit. Everything
that manifests itself naturally must first come from the spirit realm. It is
possible to over think and reason and calculate in the natural so much that it
hinders the flow of the spirit.
I
have always liked professional baseball. It is a well-known fact that batters
and pitchers can get into a slump. The slump usually continues because the
player interrupts the natural flow of his skills and abilities by over thinking
everything he does. A well-known manager instructed a well-known professional
baseball player who hadn't had a hit in many games to "just walk up to the plate
and don't think. Just relax and play the game."
As
Christians, once we've made the decision to believe, we should just relax, let
go, and trust God and allow the natural flow of the spirit to work through us
and the supernatural will come to pass. Remember, believing is a choice. Choose
to believe and receive.
As
a minister of the gospel, my responsibility is to repeat what God says in His
word. I must do what He says to do, and I must say what He says to
say.
His
Word is His will. Look at the confidence God allows us to have in what we say
when we speak His Word. First John 5:14 says, "Now this is the confidence that
we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears
us."
We
must be word-minded people. Word-minded people are steady because the Word of
God is steady. Sense-minded people are ruled by how they feel as perceived by
the five senses - what they taste, touch, hear, smell, and see. Sense-minded
people are up and down emotionally. I call them "roller coaster" or "yo-yo"
Christians because they are driven by their senses and what we sense constantly
changes.
If
the Word of God is what you believe, you'll be steady because the Word of God
doesn't vary. God doesn't say that one day He'll bless you and the next day
He'll curse you. The Word of God says it is His will to heal you. Therefore, if
you're attacked with sickness in your body, you're going to be steady because
you know it's God's will that you be healed, set free, and live a wonderful
life. You're going to be steady in your mind regardless of how you feel in your
body if you are word-minded.
People
who are driven by their senses say what they see. When they feel good, they say
they feel good. When they feel bad, they say they feel bad. Why? Because
sense-minded people only speak what they see.
Jesus
said in Mark 11:23 that we get what we say. That means that if we keep saying
what we see, then we will keep seeing the same thing. Let's get real! Nothing is
going to change until something changes! And if we keep doing what we have
always done then we will always have what we have always
had!
When
sense-minded people see nothing changing in their lives, they believe nothing
will ever change, and they continue to speak that nothing will ever change and
the result is - nothing changes.
Once
I was counseling with a person who was full of doubt and unbelief. He thought he
was worthless and his life was a mess, and he spoke that he was worthless and
his life was beyond repair. After much teaching and explaining to him about how
he would get what he spoke, his comment was this, " That may work for some
people, but it won't work for me. I've tried to understand God's Word, but I
haven't been able to, and I don't think I ever will." In the years since this
counseling session, I must confess, he was right. He received what he
believed.
Choose
to speak the Word of God out of the abundance of your heart and not what your
five senses tell you, and you will begin to see victory in your
life.
Understanding
the New Covenant
The
Word of God shows us how the new covenant differs from the old covenant.
In
the Old Testament the Israelites understood that killing an animal and applying
the blood was the way God ratified covenants.
But
in the New Testament, we are under a different set of rules. Hebrews 8:6 says
the new covenant is a better covenant. That doesn’t mean the old covenant is
gone. Jesus said He didn’t come to destroy the law, but instead He came to
fulfill it. Through fulfilling it, He redeemed us from the curse of
it.
"Do
not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to
destroy but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17).
Any
time you enter into a contract, for example the selling of a house, both the
buyer and the seller sign the contract. The contract is not binding and valid
until both parties involved have signed and completed the transaction.
It’s
the same way concerning the promises of the new covenant. God has already
ratified the contract with the blood of Jesus. The only ones left to sign the
contract are those who choose to believe and accept the offer of salvation.
Under
the new covenant we do not use the blood of bulls or goats to ratify the
covenant. The way we ratify our part of the covenant is with the words of our
mouth spoken in faith. Romans 10:9 says, “…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.”
Jesus
has already signed His portion of the new covenant with His blood. He is waiting
for you to believe in Him and sign your portion with a confession of faith.
Do
You Need a Miracle Today?
As
I travel around the world, it doesn't matter what state or country I am in, it
seems there is one thing that I find everywhere. There are people who need a
miracle. They need it desperately. They need it today.
So
what is it that activates the miracle in your life? What is it that can turn
everything around? What is it that can turn desperation into a joyful
celebration?
When
you can't think of a way out of your impending disaster, you must know this. God
can make a way where there is no way. God doesn't just find a way of escape that
you couldn't find. He creates one that you would never find, because it didn't
exist. God is a creative miracle God. So, when your back is against the wall,
quit looking for a way out and start looking to the Source of your
deliverance.
The
enemy has an agenda. His desire is to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10). If
you are a born again believer, then you carry within you the Spirit of God on
this earth and you become the target for the attacks of the enemy. But the truth
is the Spirit that is possessing you is greater than the spirit attacking you.
(1 John 4:4). And when all the spiritual dust settles, the Spirit within you
will be standing and the spirit attacking you will be
fleeing.
It's
time to choose sides. It's time to decide who you are going to believe and swear
your allegiance to. Are you going to believe the words of the One who is
victorious or are you going to believe the words of the one who will be fleeing?
The words you agree with will determine the outcome of your situation.
You
may be wanting a miracle, deliverance, and victory in your life. God's Word has
promised you these things. But these promises are conditional. They are
activated by faith. Faith is not just knowing that God can deliver you, but
faith is hearing God's promise of deliverance, deciding to believe it, speaking
it until it becomes so embedded in your heart that everything you do is based on
that belief.
So,
it comes down to this. Unless you know God's promise, you will not know what to
believe in. Where are His promises? They are found in His Word, the Holy Bible.
And unless we hear His promise, we have no foundation for our faith.
So,
what is the practical application of all of this? If the miracle you need is
healing for your body, then you must find God's promises in His Word and hear
them, either from someone else or from your own voice. Quote God's healing
promise everyday. And eventually it will get into your heart and the miracle of
healing will take place. To help you on this, here are a couple of healing
promises from God.
"...
By His stripes you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).
"...
Forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all
your diseases" (Ps. 103:2-3).
If
the miracle you need is a financial miracle, then do the same thing. Find verses
in God's Word that tell what God wants for you in the area of finances. Some
good verses are:
"...
For your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich"
(2 Cor. 8:9).
"Beloved,
I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul
prospers" (3 John 2).
"But
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you" (Matt. 6:33).
"Honor
the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase;
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new
wine" (Prov. 3:9-10).
If
your heart is broken because someone has betrayed you or because of the
disappointments of life, then you must know that Jesus said in Luke 4 that He
came to heal the brokenhearted.
"...
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted" (Luke 4:18).
Yes,
All Things Are Possible
In
Mark 9:23, Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who
believes." If you have a physical ailment, is it possible that the sickness that
has plagued you could be gone tomorrow? Could you wake up tomorrow and all of
this trial with your body just be like a bad dream? Is it
possible?
If
you are struggling in your finances, is it possible that the financial problem
you have could be resolved? Is it possible that somehow you could come up with
all the money needed to pay your bills and have some left over to buy some new
clothes? Is it possible that the relationships that have been destroyed over the
years could be somehow knitted back together? Is it possible? Yes. Is it
possible for everyone? No. It's only a possibility to those who believes.
Remember, Jesus said, "All things are possible to him who believes."
Too
many people are waiting for God to do something in their lives, when in reality,
He has already completed everything that needs to be done. Let me explain.
When
you become a Christian, you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He, in the
form of His Holy Spirit, resides within you. You become a new creation. You
become what Jesus called "born again." (John 3:3,7.) But let me ask you this.
Does Jesus have to come to earth again and die again and be raised again from
the dead so that you can be saved? No, of course not.
Jesus
has already paid the full price for your salvation, once and for all, two
thousand years ago. He paid the price. He doesn't have to do it again. He has
already done it. So, if Jesus has already paid the price for the salvation of
the world, is every one saved? No. Only those who believe will be
saved.
John
3:16 says, "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." Is
everlasting life possible? Yes, but only if you believe. Jesus said, "If you can
believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
First
Peter 2:24, says, "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." What this means is that not only did Jesus pay the price once and
for all for our sins, but He also paid the price for our healing. This verse
tells us that Jesus bore stripes on His body for our healing.
In
the same way that He died for our sins, He took stripes for our deliverance from
sickness and disease. In the same way we become Christians through faith, we are
healed through faith. We must believe God's Word and act on it without
doubt.
Once
I was talking with a man who said that he didn't believe that Jesus really died
for his sins. He went on to say that He really didn't believe that God could
have loved him so much that He would have sent Jesus here to die and raise Him
from the dead, just for him.
With
that one statement, he eliminated supernatural possibilities in his life.
Everlasting life is possible, but only for those who believe. Is everlasting
life possible? Is healing possible? Is prosperity possible? Is peace and joy
possible? Jesus said in Mark 9:23, "If you can believe, all things are possible
to him who believes."
When
You Work the Word, the Word Works
But
be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James
1:22)
God's
Word is powerful. God's Word contains everything you need for health and
healing, prosperity, and emotional soundness. There is no counsel on earth as
great as the counsel that can be found in the scriptures.
Jesus
overcame the temptation of Satan by the power of the written Word, spoken with
faith. (Luke 4:1-13.) The same life-changing power that healed the sick, raised
the dead, and allowed Jesus and Peter to walk on the Sea of Galilee is available
today. (Matt. 14:29.) That power is the Word of God.
However,
according to the Bible, the Word of God in all of its strength is not always
active. (Mark 7:13.) Actually, it is possible to hear the Good News of the Word
of God and know of its power and still not have the power function in your life.
So,
what separates the people who see and experience miracle power from those who
don't? Actually, the answer is quite simple. The Word always works for those who
work the Word. But how do we work the Word of God?
The
disciples asked Jesus what they needed to do in order that they could work the
works of God. "Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that
you believe in Him whom He sent.'" The word "believe" in John 6:29 is pisteuo,
which translates as "commit to (one's) trust," or to have faith. In order for
the Word to work, faith in God and His Word must be present. (Heb. 4:2.)
The
Word of God is full of promises to the believer. These promises will move
mountains, change lives, and bring deliverance from every form of captivity.
This power in the Word will work in your life if you will work the Word. You
work the Word with faith.
Remember
this -- living faith hears the Word, believes the Word, speaks the Word, and
does the Word. That's faith.
Scripture
References:
For
the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews
4:12)
Jesus
answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him
whom He sent." (John 6:29)
Jesus
said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
(Mark 9:23)
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 4:2)
Pressing
Past the Need into Possession
"When
Jesus heard it, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but
sinners, to repentance'" (Mark 2:17).
Jesus
made a very profound statement in this verse. He said, "Those who are well have
no need of a physician." That may sound simple, but actually it has great
spiritual depth. Many people I have met over the years are in great need. They
need finances, they need friendship, they need healing, and they need love. They
always seem to need something.
However,
it's never been God's plan for His children to live in need of anything. If we
need money, then we are not prosperous. If we need healing, then we are not
walking in health. If we need hope, then we are not in faith. And if we need
love, we are admitting that we do not have love.
God
wants us to move from wanting and needing into having and possessing. God is
complete in all things. He has no lack and He has no need. Ephesians 5:1 says
that we are to be like God. We are to be complete and without need. Even though
the Scriptures tell us that God knows our needs before we ask (Matt. 6:8), after
the asking, the need should be gone. Here's why.
Revelation
21:23 tells us that the New Jerusalem has no need of the sun or of the moon to
shine in it because the glory of God illuminates it. Then that verse goes on to
say that the Lamb is its light. This statement may sound elementary, but it is
true – where there is light and illumination, there is no need for an object
that gives light.
In
the same way, if we are like God, we will be walking in completeness. Our lives
will be shalom -- everything will be whole, peaceful, healthy, safe, sound,
tranquil, prosperous, perfect, full, restful, and in harmony. There will be no
agitation and there will be no discord. God's plan is for us to walk past our
needs and to be complete in Him.
Freedom
From Disease & Poverty
Galatians
3:13 says, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law." But what does it
mean to be redeemed from the curse of the law?
By
the death and resurrection of Jesus, He paid the price for you and for me. He
became the sacrifice for our sins. He died so that we could live. He bore our
sicknesses so we could have health. He redeemed us from the curse of the law of
sin and death.
The
law as described in the New Testament is usually considered to be the
Pentateuch, or more clearly the first five books of the Bible. In these first
five books -- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy -- the curse
or punishment for breaking God's law is broken down into three basic
categories.
1)
The curse of spiritual death
2)
The curse of sickness and disease
3)
The curse of poverty
In
Deuteronomy 28:15, the Bible tells us about these curses, saying, "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."
Then
it lists curses all the way to verse 60 -- forty-five verses of sicknesses and
financial disasters that would happen if the law was not kept. In verse 61, the
list concludes by saying that not only would these things that were listed
happen, but any sickness, disease, or catastrophe that was not listed would
happen also.
In
other words, not keeping the law was disastrous. But even worse, it was nearly
impossible to keep the law. So, poverty, sickness, and spiritual death were
virtually assured.
But
today, I have good news. When it seemed like there was no hope, God made a way.
And that's just like God. He always makes a way of escape for those who seek
Him.
Jesus
became our Redeemer. He made a way of escape from poverty, sickness, and
spiritual death. However, some Christians do not understand that we have been
redeemed from the curse of the law. They accept sickness and poverty as part of
the Christian lifestyle. This should not be. We have been set free from the
curse of the law. We need to start acting like it.
When
you take a coupon to the grocery store, you use it instead of using money. In
other words, you redeem the coupon. It takes the place of your money. Your money
becomes redeemed because the coupon was the redeemer. Well, that's what Jesus
did.
We
had a debt. That debt was the curse of the law. But the problem was that we
could not pay the debt. It required a perfect sacrifice. It required a sacrifice
that was pure before God. We were not pure. Our debt was impossible to
pay.
But
then Jesus came to earth as a man and died in our place. He took stripes on His
body for our sicknesses. He redeemed us. He paid the debt we could not
pay.
When
we become a Christian, we have health and prosperity available. We don't have to
be diseased and in poverty. Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the
law.
God's
Promise of Prosperity
God’s
plan for each and every believer is prosperity. Even though there are those who
are opposed to the prosperity message, it still does not deny the reality of
God’s Word. Let’s look at some basic biblical truths concerning prosperity.
1)
God desires for us to prosper.
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).
2)
God teaches us to profit.
Thus
says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God,
Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go” (Isaiah
48:17).
3)
Receiving is the result of giving and God wants us to
give.
Give,
and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and
running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you
use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:38).
4)
God adds things to us when we seek first His kingdom.
But
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you (Matthew 6:33).
5)
We are commanded to tithe on our increase. Therefore, increase must be of God.
Honor
the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase;
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new
wine (Proverbs 3:9,10).
6)
God empowers us to get 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).
7)
God gives us all things that pertain to life.
As
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have
been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you
may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust (2 Peter 1:3,4).
8)
God’s blessing is riches without sorrow.
The
blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs
10:22).
9)
God supplies all my needs according to His riches.
And
my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
10)
Jesus delivered us from poverty.
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).
There
are hundreds of references in the Word of God that clearly tell us that
prosperity should be the lifestyle of every believer. Just like salvation, we
receive prosperity by grace, the awesome power of God. But it is through faith
that it is activated. Faith is the catalyst that activates the promise of
prosperity in God’s Word in your life.
Remember
faith is hearing, believing, speaking, and acting on God’s
promises.
"Lord,
If It Be Thy Will"
And
lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a
thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be
exalted above measure. (2 Corinthians 12:7)
For
the first few years as a Christian, I believed that if you were sick, or if you
were praying for someone who had a sickness, the proper way to pray would be to
say this. "Lord, if it be Thy will..." The reason I prayed this way was because
I was taught to pray that way.
While
it is true that we must ask for His will to be done when we pray, we must not
use the phrase, "If it be Thy will" as a substitute for knowing His will. God’s
Word is His will and as a believer we have a responsibility to know what the
Father loves and what He hates. There is no reason why a Christian should not
know God’s will concerning health, prosperity, and relationships. All of these
areas are addressed clearly in His Word.
When
man bases His beliefs on what he sees or on his experiences, his beliefs will
not always line up with the Word of God. At that point, a decision must be made.
Either beliefs must be changed to match the Word, or the Word is altered to
match our predetermined beliefs. Because of pride, insecurities, and the
unwillingness to change, all too often man attempts to change the Word of God.
Actually, the Word will always change the heart of the hearer if the hearer has
a submissive heart for God. Only a hardened heart resists God’s Word and refuses
to believe what God’s Word says.
"Paul’s
thorn" is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Over the years I have
heard countless ministers explain that sometimes God heals and sometimes He
doesn’t. Some have even been so bold as to say that there are times when it is
God’s will that you be sick and diseased. Nothing could be further from the
truth.
All
through God’s Word His desire has been that His children experience health and
healing. When the Hebrews left Egypt, God healed them all. When Jesus entered
towns and villages, He healed all who were sick and oppressed. Jesus said that
He only did what the Father told Him to do and we never find one instance where
Jesus commanded sickness. Jesus healed eyes and never made anyone blind. He
touched deaf ears and people could hear. He caused the lame to walk but never
made anyone lame. Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood, "Your faith has
healed you." A touch from Jesus always brought deliverance, healing, and removed
pain.
Jesus
said that one of the signs of those who follow Him would be this. They would lay
hands on the sick and the sick would recover. There is not one place where Jesus
ever commanded believers to lay hands on the well and make them sick.
In
the Book of James, the church is given instructions on what a sick believer
should do. A sick believer is commanded to go to the elders and upon being
anointed with oil, the prayer of faith would bring healing. There is no record
in the scriptures anywhere of believers being instructed to go to the church and
have hands laid on them in order to receive sickness and
disease.
Likewise,
the church was given nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are listed in 1
Corinthians chapter 12. One of the gifts is called "gifts of healings," implying
that within that one gift are many gifts and all the gifts contain healing. You
will find in this listing of nine gifts that there is not a gift called the gift
of sickness, there is not a gift called the gift of disease, nor is there a gift
called the gift of pain.
That’s
because God is the giver of good gifts. James 1:17 says that every good gift
comes from the Father and then it goes on to say that God never changes. God’s
gifts are good, they have always been good, and they will always be good because
God does not change.
Cancer,
tuberculosis, diabetes, tumors, disease, and pain are not good gifts. Therefore,
they must not be from God.
Now
back to Paul’s thorn. There should be no debate on what Paul’s thorn was. Why?
Because as soon as Paul said that he had a thorn in the flesh, he immediately
said what it was. Paul said his thorn was a messenger (angel) from Satan sent to
buffet (torment) him. "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the
abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger
of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." (2 Corinthians 12:7)
This demonic spirit had an assignment and this assignment was to create havoc in
Paul’s life.
In
Chapter eleven Paul lists all the things that the enemy did to him, trying to
take his life. Paul said he had been put in jail, whipped, faced death, been
beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, put in prison, left for dead, received forty
stripes minus one from the Jews, faced danger from robbers, flooded rivers, the
Jews and Gentiles. He faced danger in the cities, in the deserts and on stormy
seas, and from men who claimed to be Christians, but were not. He had lived with
sleepless nights, been hungry and thirsty, faced cold without enough clothing to
keep warm, had been in hunger and thirst, and in cold and
nakedness.
There
is not a sickness nor a disease in Paul’s list of attacks against him. Rather,
he lists the attacks from the angel sent by Satan that was assigned to him to
destroy his ministry. Make no mistake about it. The devil is a bad devil whose
mission statement is to steal from you, to kill you, and to destroy your life
and ministry. On the other hand, God is a good God Who is using every available
method to get blessings and goodness to you.
So
the next time you hear someone say, "I wonder what God’s will is?" or "I wonder
if God wants to heal me?" then open the Word and show them God’s will in His own
words. God’s will is healing.
Reject
the Curse of Debt
I
have exciting news for you. Jesus has redeemed us from the full curse of the law
– not just part of it, but all of it! Let me explain.
The
curse of the law, as described in Deuteronomy chapter 28, involved three things:
1) death, 2) sickness and disease, and 3) poverty. Jesus paid the price in full
so that we could exchange the curse for the Blessing. Instead of 1) death, 2)
sickness and disease, and 3) poverty, He wants us to have 1) life, 2) health and
healing, and 3) prosperity. Of course, the thief comes to steal, kill, and
destroy (John 10:10), but that is totally irrelevant. It doesn't matter. The
price has been paid. We have been redeemed from the curse.
We
were redeemed by Jesus taking on the fullness of the curse so that we could walk
in the fullness of the Blessing. He substituted Himself for each of the three
parts of the curse and through His substitution He became our propitiation and
redeemed us from the curse. He paid the price we could not pay. He did what we
could not do. He completed what we could not complete.
But
how did He do this? He became our substitute for the first third of the curse.
He died so that we could live. He took on death on the cross so that we could
take on life for eternity. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, death
is no longer in our future, because our old man was crucified on the cross with
Jesus.
Jesus
also substituted Himself for the second third of the curse. According to Isaiah
53 and 1 Peter 2:24, He sacrificed His body, He took on our infirmities, He took
on our pain so that we could walk in the fullness of health and healing. By the
stripes He received on His back we were healed.
Likewise,
Jesus took on the last one third of the curse. According to 2 Corinthians 8:9,
even though He was rich, He became poor so that we, through His poverty, might
become rich. Jesus, the King of Kings, was the one who had gold and precious
spices delivered to Him as a child, the one who had a treasurer, and the one who
owned clothing so valuable it was not divided at His death. This same Jesus was
stripped of all His earthly wealth, hung naked on a cross in poverty, and buried
in a borrowed grave. This same Jesus took on the curse of poverty that paid the
price for our prosperity.
I
am always amused when someone asks me if I am one of those "health and wealth"
preachers. What is the alternative? Do they really want to follow and listen to
a "sickness and poverty" preacher? Or do they want to receive the Blessing of
God? Of course, we all want the Blessing!
While
I do not feel that borrowing money is a sin, it is definitely under the curse.
The Word says that we are to be the lenders and we shall not borrow. We are to
be above and not beneath. We are to be the head and not the
tail.
When
you return from a few days away from home and your little dog runs into the yard
to greet you at your car, what do you do? I have seen people pick up their
little dogs and rub their faces together, letting the little puppy lick them
over and over. Have you noticed that when the dog is picked up it is always the
head that gets all the attention? The tail goes unnoticed. In fact it is
completely avoided. No one wants to have a relationship with the tail. It is the
head that is honored. We are to be the head and not the tail. We are to be the
lenders and not the borrowers. We are children of the King, and heirs of His
promise. We are not beggars. We must walk in the Blessing.
Every
Christian believes that Jesus died for their sins and they walk in the Blessing
of eternal life. Some believe that He bore our sicknesses for our healing, but
sadly even fewer believe that He became poor so we could be
rich.
Once
I heard a preacher say that Jesus became poor spiritually. How absurd! Jesus
said, "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father for the Father and I are
one." God, who spoke the universes into existence, has never been, is not, and
will never be poor spiritually. That is impossible. Jesus became poor
financially and paid the price to redeem us from poverty and by faith we can
receive prosperity.
The
Bible tells us that as a man thinks, so is he. God wants us to think the
fullness of the Blessing. He wants us to quit thinking the curse (death,
sickness, and poverty) and start thinking the Blessing (life, health, and
prosperity). When your back is against the wall financially, don't think
"borrow." You can not borrow your way out of debt. It only takes you deeper into
the snare of the curse. However, you can give yourself into the Blessing.
All
through the Bible we see this theme. If you take care of God's house, He will
take care of your house. Your road to prosperity and out of the bondage of the
curse of poverty and debt is through seeking His kingdom first. Only when we
believe His Word and act on what we believe will the curse of poverty be broken.
Statistics
tell us that 97% of all Christians are in debt. The first step in getting out of
the pit of debt is to quit digging. When a person digs with a shovel, they are
constantly looking down. God will take you out of the pit, but first you must
put away the shovel, and start looking up.
Satan
is a liar and sadly, too many Christians have believed his lie instead of the
truth. Satan says, "If you don't borrow, you'll never have a house." Satan says,
"The only way you can own a car is through debt." Many Christians buy their food
with a credit card. All the while Satan tightens the noose bringing them further
into bondage. The truth is, you can have a better house, a better car, and a
better life by not paying the usury of the Babylonian system.
Jesus
paid the price, but our receiving is directly connected to our actions that
result from the belief in our heart. In your thinking, get debt and borrowing
moved to the curse side of the ledger. Quit rejoicing when you get a loan.
Recognize the curse for what it is. Reject what Jesus defeated. Walk in the
victory of the Blessing. You are the head and not the tail.
The
Covenant Blood of Jesus
There
is a power in the spirit realm we must understand and access, and that is the
covenant blood of Jesus. As you learn about the blood and begin to act on all
you know, then you must trust God enough to act on what you don't completely
understand. If it's in the Word, believe it by faith. Once you can do that, you
will find that the blood will start doing things in your life just like it did
in the lives of the people in the Bible. When you start seeing what the blood
did for the people in the Bible, it will bless your socks off. And the first
time you see it work for you, it will change your thinking.
Have
you ever gone to a car dealership and spotted a new car you liked? You think
it's special and unique because it's not like anything you've ever seen before.
But when you drive out of the dealership, all of a sudden you begin to notice
there are cars like it everywhere. Once you become aware and your eyes are
opened, it becomes obvious what you had previously
overlooked.
That's
the way it is with the Word of God. As you study about the blood, you may not
think the blood has too much prominence in the Word of God. But once you start
seeing it, you'll find the blood is throughout the
scriptures.
There
are three things we must establish before we dig deeper into the mysteries of
the blood:
1)
Life is in the blood. Now if life is in the blood, then death must be in the
absence of the blood. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood…" (Leviticus
17:11)
2)
Everlasting life is in the blood of Jesus. Jesus said, "Whoever eats My flesh
and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
(John 6:54) Jesus is not talking about His physical flesh and blood. This
scripture has a spiritual connotation. We commemorate the blood of Jesus by
acknowledging His blood when we take communion.
3)
We access the blood of Jesus by faith. In the Old Testament, the priest would
sacrifice animals to cover sin. Those who came to be cleansed saw the blood. It
didn't take faith to know the blood was there. It took faith to know what the
blood did. Hebrews 9:12 tells us Jesus entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven
and put His blood on the mercy seat once and for all to pay the price for our
sin. We receive the blood of Jesus by faith without seeing
it.
Romans
5:8,9 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by
His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
We
need to realize we are saved from destruction because of the blood of Jesus.
It's not your good works that save you from destruction. There are Christians
having disasters happen to them all the time. However, the protective power is
available for a Christian just by accessing the blood of Jesus that has already
been shed.
The
Protective Power of the Blood
by
Dr. Larry Ollison
Let
me show you how the blood of the lamb protected the Hebrews before Jesus came to
earth. It is found in Exodus 12:21.
Then
Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Pick out and take
lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And
you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and
strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And
none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord
will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the
lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow
the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you." (Exodus
12:21-23)
That
was the protective power of the lamb. Everything that happened in the Old
Testament was a foreshadow of what was to come for us under the New Covenant.
"And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons
forever." (Exodus 12:24)
The
God-fearing Jews of today still observe the Passover. They commemorate the
Passover because the death angel passed over their
ancestors.
Would
you like to have the destroyer stay outside the walls of your home? The blood of
Jesus protects the Christian today. Jesus said He didn't come to destroy the
law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) God has not changed. (Malachi 3:6) Jesus
has not changed. (Hebrews 3:18) The same things He did then, He does now. It's
just better now because we have a new and better covenant.
Scripture
References:
"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." (Hebrews 8:6,7)
"Do
not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to
destroy but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17)
"For
I am the LORD, I do not change." (Malachi 3:6)
"Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews
13:8)
The
Scarlet Cord
Once
you understand the blood covenant, you will see it throughout the Word of God.
There is an excellent example in Joshua chapter 2.
"Now
Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly,
saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.' So they went, and came to the
house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of
Jericho, saying, ‘Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel
to search out the country.' So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, ‘Bring
out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have
come to search out all the country.' Then the woman took the two men and hid
them…." (Joshua 2:1-4)
Remember,
the people of Jericho were in terror because they knew what God had done for the
Hebrews already. The scripture tells us that Rahab had also heard and believed
in her heart that God had given the land to the Israelites.
Starting
in verse ten, she said: "For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of
the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two
kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og whom
you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted;
neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord
your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg
you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also
will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, and spare my
father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver
our lives from death." (Joshua 2:10-13)
"So
the men said to her: ‘We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have
made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet
cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your
father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's household to your own
home. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the
street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And
whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is
laid on him.' Then she said, ‘According to your words, so be it.' And she sent
them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window."
(Joshua 2:17-19,21)
If
you look closely, you will notice several key things that are significant to
know about applying the blood of the covenant.
In
verse 11, Rahab acknowledged that God was God. Because of this, she told the
spies that she wanted to make a covenant with them concerning her household. The
Hebrews understood covenant, but there wasn't time to sacrifice a lamb, so they
took a scarlet cord, which represented the blood of the lamb, and told Rahab to
put it in the window.
In
Chapter 6, we read the conclusion of the story: "Now the city shall be doomed by
the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall
live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers
that we sent.... And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and
all that she had." (Joshua 6:17, 25)
When
the two spies came back with the army to utterly destroy the city of Jericho,
they were looking for the scarlet cord in the window. Therefore, death passed
over Rahab and all of her household. Rahab had faith in the covenant and acted
upon it by putting the scarlet cord in the window. Therefore, she, and all who
were with her, lived.
There
were certain requirements her family had to fulfill before they were saved.
First, they had to believe Rahab; and second, they had to act on their belief,
or the scripture said they would die. (Joshua 2:19) Those in the family were
saved because they believed. Look also in Joshua 6:25. The scripture says the
covenant not only protected her and her family but, "...and all that she had…."
Do
you see what this says? God is not only interested in sparing our lives, but by
the blood, it says our possessions are included also! When you leave town, you
can apply the blood covenant of Jesus as protection over your household. You can
plead the blood of Jesus! Don't listen to the words of doubt and skepticism.
Satan is a liar. There is a real bloodline you can place around your home that
Satan has no authority to cross. This isn't just an Old Testament story. In
Hebrews 11:31, it says: "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who
did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace."
Did
you catch that? By faith she didn't perish with those who did not have faith.
The ones who believed God would protect them by a promised covenant did not
perish like those who did not believe. Do you see how important faith is?
A
Health and Wealth Christian
by
Dr. Larry Ollison
"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)
I
have been accused of being a "health and wealth" preacher. My response is,
"Guilty as charged!" God's Word is full of His goodness. In fact, God's goodness
is in His glory. James 1:17 says that good gifts come from God and that God
doesn't change. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that health and
prosperity are good and sickness and poverty are bad. Health and prosperity are
a part of the Blessing and sickness and disease are a part of the
curse.
Galatians
3:13 says that Jesus came to earth to redeem us from the curse of the law. In
other words, part of His mission and goal was to make a way for those who would
receive Him to walk in life, health, and prosperity.
Did
Jesus accomplish on the earth what He was sent to accomplish? Did Jesus complete
the task that His Father sent Him to do? Did Jesus make a way for mankind to be
redeemed from the curse of the law? Of course He did! Jesus did not fail in any
part of the mission He was sent to do. Upon returning to the Father after His
ascension, I guarantee you that Jesus did not have to make up an excuse or give
a reason why He didn't do everything He was sent to do. He completed everything.
He was the perfect sacrifice and paid in full everything that was to be paid for
man's redemption.
The
curse of the law, as described in Deuteronomy chapter 28 involved three parts:
1) death, 2) sickness and disease, and 3) poverty. Jesus paid the price in full
for our complete redemption – not just a third, not two-thirds, but completely
in full. When Jesus said, "It is finished," it was finished. God's plan is for
us to replace the curse in our life with the Blessing. We replace death with
life. We replace sickness with health. And we replace poverty with prosperity.
If
it is true, and it is, that Jesus redeemed us from the complete curse, then how
do we walk in the Blessing that He has paid for? Quite simply, a biblical
principle is that we only receive what we believe. If we believe He died for our
sins, we receive everlasting life. Does everyone on earth receive everlasting
life? No. Even though it is available to everyone and even though Jesus paid the
price in full so that the whole world could be saved, only those who believe in
Him and receive Him as their Lord and Savior actually acquire everlasting life.
But
everlasting life is only one-third of the blessing. What about health and
prosperity?
A
Bible word we rarely used is propitiation. The simplest definition for this word
is substitute. First John 2:2 says, "And He Himself is the propitiation for our
sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." Jesus paid the price
we could not pay. He died for our sins so that we could live. He substituted His
death for ours. Because He died, we who receive Him will never
die.
About
seven hundred years before Jesus was born on the earth, Isaiah prophesied that a
Messiah was coming who would be bruised for us. Jesus is the fulfillment of that
prophesy and in First Peter 2:24 we are told that by His stripes we have been
healed. He paid the price for our healing. He took pain upon His body so that we
could live free from pain. He was our propitiation. He was our substitute.
The
third part of the curse was poverty. In the same way that Jesus died so that we
can live and in the same way that He took on sickness so we could be well, He
also took on poverty so we could live in prosperity. In 2 Corinthians 8:9, the
Bible says, "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."
Although
the prosperity message may not always be taught properly, and sometimes is even
taught with the wrong motive, the truth is prosperity is a part of the Blessing
and God fully expects us to receive completely all that He has sent Jesus to
accomplish.
Recently,
I heard a sermon about how heaven rejoices when someone receives eternal life.
That is very true. "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10) But also there is great
joy in heaven when a saint becomes prosperous. "...Let the LORD be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." (Psalm
35:27)
Do
not be deceived. God is the God of completeness. He doesn't do things halfway.
So when He sent Jesus to redeem us from the curse of the law, He redeemed us
from all of it. And we receive that blessing according to our faith.
So,
the next time somebody asks you, "Are you a health and wealth Christian?" you
should stand up straight and boldly say, "Yes, I am, because I am a child of
God, the God of the Blessing!"
Scripture
References:
"A
good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the
sinner is stored up for the righteous." (Proverbs 13:22)
"I
will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that
you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, am the God of Israel."
(Isaiah 45:3)
"Thus
says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘ I am the LORD your God,
Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.'" (Isaiah
48:17)
"For
God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to
the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to
him who is good before God...." (Ecclesiastes 2:26)
"But
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)
Don't
Limit God to What You Understand
The
scripture tells us in Acts chapter 2 that we can receive the Spirit of God,
through a second infilling. We receive it in the same way we received salvation.
We must believe the Holy Spirit is here for us in order to be filled but nothing
new has to take place in the spirit realm for us to access that
power.
If
someone says he doesn't want to operate in the gifts of the Spirit, He will not
access the power even though it is available to him. Many places in the Word of
God we find it clearly stated that what we believe is what we receive. If you
believe what the Word of God says concerning the things God has already done,
then you receive the things God has made available to every believer. There is
untold power available to those who believe. It is one thing to know the power
exists. It is another to know how to apply that power in our lives. When we
become Christians, our lives should be changed in such a way that the world will
see our good works and be drawn to our heavenly Father.
Jesus
said to let our lives shine before men. (Matthew 5:16) To put it another way, we
are to let our light shine in such a way that when other people see the light,
they know it's really the power of God embedded in us. They should recognize it
to the point that they look to the Source of the power and glorify the God Who
put the power in us. If God has provided this great power, should we ignore it
out of ignorance or tradition just because we don't understand
it?
There
are a lot of things we don't understand that we get ourselves involved in. How
many people understood what marriage was about when they first got married? It
is doubtful that single people really understand the full impact of what they
have just committed themselves to on their wedding day. They are taking a step
of faith. You might say a leap of faith.
When
people get saved, they know very little about what has happened. They just knew
something was missing in their life and what they learned about Jesus made them
understand He was the missing part. After they accept Jesus as their Lord and
Savior, they start to work out their salvation. (Philippians
2:12)
Well,
it's the same way with the blood. There is just no way we can understand
everything there is to understand about the blood of Jesus. We can't stand back
and say, "Okay, when I understand everything there is to know about Jesus'
blood, I'm going to apply the blood of Jesus to my life. But until then I'm
going to study diligently."
We
must study and understand all we can, but we cannot limit the power of God to
what we understand.
Scripture
References:
"Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
"Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
(Philippians 2:12)
No
place in the scriptures does it say believers are angels. Believers have never
been angels, nor will they become angels when they die. When you die, you're not
going to be like Jimmy Stewart in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," dealing
with somebody that's trying to get their wings by doing something good.
This
is Hollywood theology. You are not an angel and you never will be an angel.
Likewise,
God is not an angel. The Holy Spirit is not an angel. Jesus is not an angel.
Jesus is not related to the devil. The devil is nothing more than a created
angel who rose up and attempted to be like God and was cast out of heaven to
earth just as the scripture said.
Satan
and his band of renegade angels will all be cast into hell. Hell was not created
for sinners although lost people will go there. Hell was created for fallen
angels including the devil.
"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.'" (Matt. 25:41)
We
have something that angels don't have. We have blood. Not only do we have our
blood, we have access to the blood of Jesus who cleansed us from all
unrighteousness. Angels cannot be where we are.
The
Scripture says they look on and want to be where we are. "To them it was
revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things
which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel
to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look
into." (1 Peter 1:12).
But
they can't be because we have been created in the likeness of
God
Developing
a Relationship with the Father
We
need to develop a relationship with God. We must have prayer, study, and
conversation with Him so we can say the things He says.
Anytime
you have a poor confession, anytime you say something that is contrary to the
Word of God, you are calling God a liar. Anytime that you say, "I don't think
it's God's will that I be healed," you are calling Him a liar. Anytime you say,
"I don't think it's God's will that I be prosperous," you are calling God a
liar.
If
God says something and you say something that is different, one of you has got
to be a liar. Do you understand that? If you say something and God says
something and they don't line up, one is telling the truth and one is telling a
lie. Who do you think is lying? Either God tells the truth and we say what God
says and we are truth tellers too, or God tells the truth and we don't agree
with him and we are liars. Those are the only two options.
It
is impossible for God to lie. God does not change. If He says He's the Lord our
God who heals us, then He is the source of our healing. If He says He takes
pleasure in the prosperity of the saints, then He wants us to be prosperous. If
He says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and He'll supply
all our needs, then He will supply all our needs if we seek Him and His
righteousness first. Anything else is a lie. We must make our confession align
with His confession.
If
our words do not align with His Word, then we will never unlock revelation
knowledge, we will never get delivered and we'll never get our prayers answered.
We
must expect the same results in our lives as they had in the Book of Acts. In
the Book of Acts they were doing something that a lot of people aren't doing
today. They repented. Repentance involves renunciation of evil and a reversal.
You've got to renounce the things of evil and turn around 180 degrees and start
moving the other direction.
There
must be submission in your life. You must be submissive to God and have a
teachable spirit. Christians must be teachable. You will receive revelation
knowledge of the Word of God if you have a teachable spirit or a submissive
heart.
God
wants to have a relationship with us. For our relationship with Him to grow, we
must not call Him a liar. We must be like Jesus and only say and do what the
Father speaks.
Remember,
faith is: Hearing God's Word, believing God's Word, speaking God's Word, and
doing God's Word.
"He
who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves
Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
(John 14:21)
Defeating
Discouragement
Have
you ever been discouraged? I mean really discouraged. So discouraged that you
felt like giving up? Let me ask you this. Are you discouraged today? Do you feel
like giving up? Well, if you answered yes, I have good news for you today. You
do not have to be discouraged, because God has a plan in His Word, the Holy
Bible, that tells us how to defeat discouragement.
Discouragement
is a combination of fear, depression, and a lack of hope. We could almost call
it “anti-faith.” Discouragement is not from God and He does not want you to have
it. When we are discouraged we do not function in the spirit realm the way God
wants us to. When we are discouraged, it becomes difficult to hear God and
easier to listen to the discouraging words of the world.
The
Bible tells us that when the Hebrews went out of Egypt, they wandered in the
wilderness. Although they were under the leadership of Moses, they did not enter
into the Promised Land for 40 years because they did not believe God. What did
God say that they didn't believe?
Listen
to this. God told them that if they would go into the Promised Land, He would
fight all their battles for them. Now, also keep in mind that this is after they
had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and when the enemy tried to follow, God
closed the waters and the enemy was completely destroyed. God had already proven
His ability to fight. All the Israelites had to do was let
Him.
Before
making the decision to listen to God and enter the Promised Land, the Israelites
sent twelve spies ahead. When they returned, they all gave their reports. The
spies did not all agree. Two of the spies gave a positive, encouraging report
and ten gave a negative, discouraging report.
The
ten negative speaking spies said the land was full of giants. In fact, they said
the giants were so large that the Israelites were like grasshoppers to them.
This was an obvious exaggeration, but the people believed the negative report of
the ten spies instead of the positive report of the two. The Bible says the
people then became discouraged and decided not to enter into the land God had
for them.
Thousands
of years have passed, but people still are the same. When they hear a negative
report they get discouraged.
The
world is full of negative reports. It seems that everywhere you go there is
someone telling you, “You won't make it,” “You can't win,” “God doesn't want to
heal you,” “Faith doesn't work,” and so on and so on. The world does not want
you to make it. But here's the good news. God does!
God's
words are positive. God's words are full of faith. His Word says in Psalm 103:3
that He heals all our diseases and in Psalm 34:19 it says, “Many are the
afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” And in
Romans 8:28 God's Word says, “that all things work together for good to those
who love God.”
Well
let me ask you this. Whose report will you believe? Will you go with the
majority and believe that all is lost? Or will you go with God and let Him fight
your battles for you?
Be
encouraged. God does not lie. Believe His Word and act on it. Then
discouragement will flee.
"Let
us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)
God's
Word tells us that we are to hold tightly and not release the confession of our
hope. We must believe that God is willing and able to meet our every need. We
must never doubt His promises and we must never doubt that His promises are for
us.
A
lady in my church approached me with a problem. She wanted prayer. She wanted
deliverance from the problem that had entangled her for years. After explaining
the problem to me in great detail, she looked at me and said, "Do you think
there is any possibility that God can solve this problem?"
At
that point I showed her a promise in God's Word that pertained to her situation.
When she saw God's promise in His Word, I could see her countenance change. All
of a sudden, she had hope that help was on its way.
When
the world approaches us with a problem, we must give them hope. We must instill
in them God's answer to their problem. And God's answer is found in His Word.
When we speak His Word and give them hope, then they will feel like help is on
its way. They may not be in faith, but they have hope and if they continue in
their belief and confession of hope without wavering, then their confession of
hope will become rhema in their heart and faith will be
born.
Romans
5:5 tells us that hope does not disappoint. This is a principle in God's Word
that we must remember as we witness to the world. Hope brings peace and is an
anticipation of the deliverance that is on its way. Hope will encourage and give
joy and strength to the oppressed.
When
someone's back is against the wall and it looks like there is no way out, hope
delivered by a man or woman of God will bring freshness and peace to the heart
of the oppressed. We must always remember that hope is a godly quality and is a
result of His promise spoken to the hopeless.
How
to Gain Access to the Promises of God
How
do you put the power of the blood covenant to work so it can impact your life
and change the things you need changed around you? The blood of Jesus can change
your life. The Word of God brings life to your flesh.
My
son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them
[His words] depart from your eyes; keep them [His words] in the midst of your
heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health [which means
medicine or strength] to all their flesh. Proverbs 4:20-22
If
we can take the Word of God and move it from our minds into our hearts, it not
only moves things in the spirit realm, but it will manifest things in the
physical realm also. God’s Word is life to your spirit, and according to His
Word, it can also be life to all your flesh.
Remember,
the scripture that tells us the way to overcome is in Revelation 12:11. “And
they overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony.” God wants your words to be a repeat of what He says. He knows if
your words are a repeat of what He says, then you will be able to live and enjoy
the promises He wants to give you with those words.
But,
the devil wants you to repeat what he says. John 8:44 says Satan is a liar and
the father of lies. He will try to get you to say what he wants. He’s smart
enough to know that what you say is what you will eventually believe. The devil
knows you will get what you say because that is the way God planned it. God
wants the best for you. He wants you to speak the promises that are built upon
the blood covenant. When you speak those promises, you access the abundant life
God planned for you to enjoy.
There’s
a difference between the promises of God and the covenant of God. Some people
think the promises are the covenant. Actually, the promises are built on the
covenant. When you sign the covenant with your words, you become a born-again
believer. That means you have the foundation to access all the promises of God.
The promises are not automatic. You can ratify the covenant and still not enjoy
all the promises.
The
promises found in the Word include health, prosperity, proper relationships and
every other good thing. But we don’t start out with all these promises working
in our lives even though we’re born-again believers. Why? Because God planned
for us to access them as we believe in the Word. It’s up to each Christian to
take the steps of applying God’s Word so it will take root in his
heart.
We
have the One living on the inside of us Who knows everything that is happening
on the outside of us. Doesn’t it make sense for us to get in fellowship with
Him, to get in His presence, so we can know those
mysteries?
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
(1 Corinthians 2:14).
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
"Eye
has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things
which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us
through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of
God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which
is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of
God.
But
we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained
before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for
had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians
2:7-8).
Why
didn’t they know? Because it was a mystery to them.
He
is using our vocal chords, but He is praying the perfect will of God. When you
pray in the Holy Ghost, it is a mystery to you, but you can pray for an
interpretation. When the interpretation comes, you can deposit that in your
heart and act on it because now it is in your comprehension. You now know the
answer.
When
we speak in an unknown tongue, we are speaking mysteries, we are speaking
answers, we are speaking wisdom, and we are speaking the hidden wisdom that God
has hidden for us in this day and time. It flows out of us when we get in the
presence of God, in the secret place, and we begin to worship Him. When we begin
to speak in an unknown tongue, the Spirit of God is speaking through us. He is
using our voice.
But
we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained
before the ages for our glory. (1 Corinthians 2:7)
How
do we speak the wisdom of God? How do we speak answers to the mysteries? For he
who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands
him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries (1 Corinthians
14:2).
How
is it that good people that start out right get over into the ditch of
deception? What is it that happens to them? Why the spiritual instability: the
fruits, flakes and nuts? Where did they come from? Why are there so many
unstable believers? Why so many others that are religious, self-righteous and
legalistic? Could it be that they have heard the truth but don’t love it enough
to fully embrace it?
HOLY
SPIRIT never brings confusion and wondering, but an assured knowing that you are
doing the right thing. Neither does God release a prophetic word to get into
your pocketbook. The Holy Spirit is not a merchandiser. You will never see God
hold up and envelope and say, “Anybody that has a hundred dollars, I will give
you a prophetic word or pray for your healing.”
God
will never do that – that’s witchcraft!
Your
Broken Heart Can Be Healed
Many
people are walking through life with a broken heart. Although they hide it well,
behind the smiles and social activities, deep inside there are open wounds and
pain from the past.
What
causes a heart to be broken? What causes a person to hide the pain deep within?
The answer to this question is both simple and complex at the same time, but
usually involves rejection, unfaithfulness, lies, and betrayal with a trusted
friend or love.
Years
ago a young couple was separated because their parents felt they were not good
for each other, and through the years the pain of the separation never went
away.
Another
lady discovered that her husband was living with another woman on his sales
trips.
A
young girl, sexually abused by a family member, kept that secret through
decades. As an adult she was not able to respond to her husband correctly
because of the abuse that she kept hidden away in her heart.
All
of these people and others like them are living their lives each day hiding the
hurt, masking the pain, and not living life to its fullest because of a broken,
hurting, abused heart.
When
Jesus was in Nazareth, He said that God had sent Him to heal the brokenhearted
and to proclaim liberty to the captives. (Luke 4:18) If this is true, then why
are there so many Christians living with broken hearts?
Everything
in the Word of God must be received by faith. Faith is simply believing that God
will do what He said He would do and believing it so completely that everything
you say and everything you do is based upon that belief. According to the Bible,
we only receive what we believe.
Many
retain their broken heart because they have given up hope that their heart could
ever be healed, or they have tried using the world's methods with negative
results. Psychology in its proper perspective can help, but only the power of
God can completely cure.
The
truth is, Jesus has already paid the price. He has already done everything that
needs to be done for your heart to be healed. It doesn't matter who has wronged
you. It doesn't matter who has lied to you. Regardless of the physical, verbal,
or emotional abuse that you have received in your life, the good news is this.
Jesus has paid the price for your freedom. Jesus has done everything that needs
to be done for your broken heart to be healed and for you to no longer be held
captive by the problems of the past, but to walk free, from this day forward, in
victory.
How
can this happen? Actually, it is so simple that most people miss it. In the same
way that Jesus paid the price for our salvation, He paid the price for our
emotional freedom. In order for you to have everlasting life, there is nothing
that you need to do except to receive the gift that He has already paid for. He
died on the cross. God raised Him from the dead. And when you believe that,
speak it, receive it, and confess Him publically, you become "born again." In
the same way, He has paid the price for your broken heart to be healed. It is
received by grace through faith.
When
Jesus was talking to His disciples, He told them that if they would continue in
His teachings and believe them that they would come to a knowledge of the truth
and when they received this truth, they would be set free. (John 8:31-32) The
truth is this. You can have a heart full of joy and happiness. You can live in
peace without regret or feeling the pain of the past. You can awake every day
knowing that the freshness of life is before you and the blessing of God is on
your life.
You
may say, "Is this possible for me?" The answer is yes, it is possible, but it's
not possible for everyone. It's only possible for those who will believe and
receive.
So
today I have this good news for you. If you woke up today with a heart that was
broken, you can go to sleep tonight with a heart that is healed. The decision is
yours. Believe and receive what Jesus has done for you. Confess it and it's
yours.
Jesus
said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
(Mark 9:23)
Living
the God Life
We
were designed and created by God to walk in all the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
That’s right! God created us to be masters at walking in love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and
self-control.
We
were not created to handle stress, anxiety, worry and strife. That’s why
negative emotions and feelings have such damaging effects on our physical
bodies.
Medical
research is discovering that love, joy, peace, and all the other parts of the
fruit of the Spirit, actually have beneficial effects on our
bodies.
The
Bible says in Proverbs 17:22 that, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but
a broken spirit dries the bones.” Laughter and joy actually have medicinal,
healing effects on our bodies.
When
Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, the whole human race fell with him. Now that
Jesus has redeemed mankind from the curse of sin, we are free to begin exploring
and experiencing life as God originally designed us to live it! It was never the
will of God for us to live bitter, oppressed, joyless lives. That’s not what we
were created for. But, mankind has become so used to living that way, that most
people are experts at it.
Too
many people are professionals at walking in unforgiveness and anger. Some are so
developed at walking in depression and insecurity that it has become second
nature to them. Others are actually artists at dwelling on wounds and hurts from
the past. Did you know that it is unnatural for people to live this way? That’s
right! The world wants you to think that it is perfectly normal to be miserable,
and that there isn’t any other way - but there is!
In
John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to kill, to steal and to
destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more
abundantly.” Jesus wants us to live the way God originally designed for us to
live – that’s why He died on the cross for you and me.
God
wants us to experience this abundant life, and the Holy Spirit is standing by
ready to show you what this life is all about. The Holy Spirit wants you to know
the difference between life and death. He wants you to be able to discern the
difference between what is truth and what is a lie. He wants to show you how to
recognize what is good and what is evil.
If
you want to live this life, you must maintain constant awareness of the Holy
Spirit. You must be willing to obey God at all times. If you are willing to obey
and honor God in every thought and deed, you will experience a beautiful time of
renewal and transformation. Things may not be easy at first, but you will be
pleased with the results. It takes a lot of trust in God to live this way, but
living for God is the most beautiful way to live.
Agreeing
With the Word of God
As
a minister of the gospel, my responsibility is to repeat what God says in His
Word. I must do what He says to do and I must say what He says to say.
His
Word is His will. Look at the confidence God allows us to have in what we say
when we speak His Word. First John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that
we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
We
must be Word-minded people. Word-minded people are steady because the Word of
God is steady. Sense-minded people are ruled by how they feel as perceived by
the five senses – what they taste, touch, hear, smell, and see. Sense-minded
people are up and down emotionally. I call them “roller coaster” or “yo-yo”
Christians because they are driven by their senses and what we sense constantly
changes.
If
the Word of God is what you believe, you’ll be steady because the Word of God
doesn’t vary. God doesn’t say that one day He’ll bless you and the next day
He’ll curse you. The Word of God says it is His will to heal you. Therefore, if
you’re attacked with sickness in your body, you’re going to be steady because
you know it’s God’s will that you be healed, set free, and live a wonderful
life. You’re going to be steady in your mind regardless of how you feel in your
body if you are Word-minded.
People
who are driven by their senses say what they see. When they feel good, they say
they feel good. When they feel bad they say they feel bad. Why? Because
sense-minded people only speak what they see.
Jesus
said in Mark 11:23 that we get what we say. That means that if we keep saying
what we see, then we will keep seeing the same thing. Let’s get real! Nothing is
going to change until something changes! And if we keep doing what we have
always done then we will always have what we have always had! If we want change
in our lives….. something must change.
When
sense-minded people see nothing changing in their lives, they believe nothing
will ever change, and they continue to speak that nothing will ever change and
the result is – nothing changes.
Once
I was counseling with a person who was full of doubt and unbelief. He thought he
was worthless and his life was a mess and he spoke that he was worthless and his
life was beyond repair. After much teaching and explaining to him about how he
would get what he spoke, his comment was this, “That may work for some people,
but it won’t work for me. I’ve tried to understand God’s Word, but I haven’t
been able to and I don’t think I ever will.” In the years since this counseling
session, I must confess, he was right. He received what he believed.
Choose
to speak the Word of God out of the abundance of your heart and not what your
five senses tell you and you will begin to see victory in your
life.
“A
fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”
(Proverbs 18:7)
The
Author of the Bad Report
Last
week a man wrote and asked this question. He said, "Why did Jesus come to earth?
What was He really trying to do?"
It's
amazing to me, but some people still don't understand why Jesus did what He did.
Well, here's the answer.
First
John 3:8 says, "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy
the works of the devil."
Here
we are clearly told why Jesus came to earth. He came to destroy the works of the
devil. But, what are the works of the devil? To get this answer let's look at
what Jesus did.
In
every town and village Jesus entered, He preached the gospel, the good news, He
healed the sick and He set free those who were in bondage. So, if Jesus came to
destroy the works of the devil, then the works of the devil must be sickness,
bondage and bad news.
Jesus
has not changed. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today,
and forever." But, neither has the devil. In John 8:44 Jesus was talking to the
religious leaders of the day. He said, "You are of your father the devil, and
the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father
of it."
Satan
still tries to put us in bondage and Jesus still wants to set us free.
In
John 8:31-32, Jesus said, "If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
So,
here's the point. If you have something that binds you, you must remember this.
Jesus came to set you free.
Unfortunately,
many people are confused about who does what to whom. In order to be set free,
we must know the truth. And here's the truth. All good comes from God the
Father. He sent His Son to preach the gospel, the good news. He didn't send Him
to bring bad news. When Jesus went into a town or village, He spoke words that
brought hope to the hopeless. He spoke health to the sick. He spoke liberty to
those in bondage. He also came to heal the brokenhearted.
I
receive many letters. When I read these letters, one thing is evident. There are
many people in bondage and there are many people with broken hearts.
If
your heart is hurting, then today let me propose this. Recognize that it is not
Jesus who hurts you to teach you something. It's Jesus who loves you and wants
to heal your broken heart. God loved you enough to send His Son. Jesus loved you
enough to die for you.
Satan
has never loved you and his desire is to destroy you. In order to be set free,
in order to have your broken heart mended, you must know the truth.
Remember
what Jesus said in John 10:10. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly."
The
Goodness of God's Glory
"For
this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the
whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to
the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the
inner man." (Ephesians 3:14-16)
There
is a key to the glory of God that we so often miss. The key is this. The glory
of God is the goodness of God.
When
Moses wanted to see the glory of God, God said, "I will make all My goodness
pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you." (Exodus
33:19) The scripture says that Moses saw the goodness of God. Then later we read
where Moses says he saw the glory of God. That lets us know something. The
goodness of God is the glory of God.
All
the good things that God has for you is in His glory. When a king walks out in
his kingly robe with his jewels and crown, surrounded by his servants, people
say, "Here comes the king in all of his glory." What do they mean? They are
referring to his abundance.
The
Hebrew word for glory is kabowd. The word kabowd means weightiness; that which
is substantial or heavy; glory; honor; splendor; power; wealth; authority;
magnificence; fame; dignity; riches and excellency. The glory of God is
goodness. What did Moses see go by? He saw the glory of God go by. He saw God in
all of His goodness.
The
devil is a liar. In John 8:44 Jesus said the devil is a liar. He always has been
and always will be. He has lied to the church. If Satan can get you to believe
his lie, he can destroy God's work in you. Much of the church has believed that
in order to be holy, glorious, and sanctified, we must be poor. We may not say
it like that, but that is the mentality that has been in many people of the
church.
That
thought is not true! That thought is from the devil, who is a liar! God wants to
give you abundance. "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)
When
we think about the things that God has for us, we don't want to limit God. It's
time for no more limits. It's time to take away the bondage that we have had.
God
is the God who prospers us. He's not the one who makes you poor. Satan is the
one who makes you poor. Jesus says in John 10:10, "I have come that they may
have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." God is not the one who
makes you sick. He says in Psalm 103:3 that it is the Lord Who heals all your
diseases. He's not the one who beats you down. Jesus came to heal the
brokenhearted, to restore sight to the blind and to preach the good news to the
poor (Luke 4:18).
What
is good news to somebody who is poor? It is that you don't have to stay
poor!
God
is the God of abundance. He's the God of prosperity. Seek first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness and God will impart His will for your life. Submit to
Him and His plan. His plan is abundance for you.
Great links
http://sacred-truths.blogspot.ca/2012/02/jesus-christ-is-god.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ be-filled-with-all-fullness-of- god.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/power-of-blood.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ all-things-are-yours.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/be-not-ignorant.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ called-to-inherit-blessing.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ effective-fervent-prayer.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/who-is-like-god.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/let-god-arise.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/lord-will-hear.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ our-wonderful-redeemer.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ blessed-to-be-blessing.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/in-time-of-trouble.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ god-hears-and-answers-prayers.h tml
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ gods-will-is-healing.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ more-shall-be-given.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/greatest-is-love.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ lord-is-very-compassionate.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ i-believe-i-receive.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ all-sufficient-christ.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ is-sola-scriptura-true-and-from -god.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2012/01/ tongues-is-not-for-believers.ht ml
http://sacred/ -truths.blogspot.com/2012/01/ by-power-of-holy-spirit.htm
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http://sacred/
http://sacred-truths.blogspot.ca/2012/02/sacred-name-movement-and-is-total.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2011/12/ god-can-speak-directly-to-you.h tml
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2011/12/money-and-ministry.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2011/12/ facing-death-and-devil-too.html
http:// sacred-truths.blogspot.com/ 2011/12/about-apostles.html
http://comeholyspirit.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/christian-or-not/
http://
http://
http://
http://
http://comeholyspirit.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/christian-or-not/
http://sacred-truths.blogspot.ca/2012/01/in-last-days.html
See also
https://postedat.wordpress.com/
https://asposed.wordpress.com/
https://dispensatiionalism.wordpress.com/
https://witnessed.wordpress.com/
https://witnessed.wordpress.com/
https://anyonecare.wordpress.com/
https://stayinhealth.wordpress.com/
PEOPLE WHO DISOBEYED GOD IN THE BIBLE
Divorce And Remarriage In The Christian Church
Free Christian resources – Ebooks, wallpaper
See also
https://postedat.wordpress.com/
https://asposed.wordpress.com/
https://dispensatiionalism.wordpress.com/
https://witnessed.wordpress.com/
https://witnessed.wordpress.com/
https://anyonecare.wordpress.com/
https://stayinhealth.wordpress.com/
PEOPLE WHO DISOBEYED GOD IN THE BIBLE
Divorce And Remarriage In The Christian Church
Free Christian resources – Ebooks, wallpaper
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